Two Potain MCT 560 M25 tower cranes are helping construct the 253-metre south tower of the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge in Chongqing, China, operating at heights of around 285 metres above the river.
The bridge forms part of the Chongqing-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway and is set to establish several engineering records, including becoming the world’s longest road-rail cable-stayed bridge with a split main span.
The two topless tower cranes are handling reinforcement steel, formwork and other large components as construction progresses.
Each MCT 560 M25 offers a maximum lifting capacity of 25 tonnes and can lift 4 tonnes at the tip of its 80-metre jib. Their climbing capability allows the cranes to rise with the bridge structure while maintaining operations at high elevation.
The cranes are also operating in challenging conditions, including wind speeds of up to 20 m/s.
“The Potain MCT 560 M25 delivers outstanding performance at height, climbing to over 200 m with a 25 t maximum capacity,” said Leo Qian, Marketing Manager for Manitowoc China.
The machines belong to Chongqing Haohai Construction Equipment Leasing and were previously deployed on the Taiziping Wujiang River Bridge between 2020 and 2024.
The Shituo Yangtze River Bridge is scheduled to open at the end of 2026 and will also feature twin-connected towers, a combined road and rail deck and a split main-beam configuration.
