From 0:00 to 6:00 daily between January 17 and 19, Guangzhou Jiefang Bridge underwent a full-closure inspection, a regular "in-depth checkup" conducted to accurately assess the bridge's performance and ensure the safety of public travel.

The inspection mainly involved load testing. Six loaded vehicles drove onto the bridge deck in sequence, with tests carried out step by step across different areas such as the main span and side spans. Inspectors simultaneously collected a series of key parameters, including static deflection, displacement, static strain, and cable force, providing comprehensive and precise data support for analyzing the bridge's health condition. At the same time, the deployment of wireless data acquisition devices and high-precision measuring instruments not only greatly reduced data errors but also significantly improved inspection efficiency. For this "old bridge" that has served for many years, technological empowerment has given its health condition a quantitative yardstick and made subsequent maintenance decisions more targeted.

In addition to on-bridge inspection, projects such as underwater foundation inspection will also be rolled out successively this year. The most noteworthy of these is the first deployment of an underwater robot on Jiefang Bridge, which will participate throughout the bridge's underwater foundation inspection and riverbed scanning work. It is understood that this inspection previously required two professional divers to work underwater, and it took one day to complete the inspection of all eight pile foundations of the entire bridge. Now, with the underwater robot taking the lead, not only are the safety risks of manual diving operations completely eliminated, but the visual limitations of the underwater environment are also overcome. With the high-definition imaging and precise detection equipment carried by the robot, both inspection efficiency and data accuracy have been greatly improved—all inspection tasks for the eight pile foundations can be completed in just half a day, injecting efficient and reliable technological strength into the bridge's safe operation and maintenance.

Guangzhou Communications Investment Group's Annual Ticket Company manages and maintains four cross-river bridges: Jiefang Bridge, Hedong Bridge, Pazhou Bridge, and Jiangwan Bridge. At present, in bridge management and maintenance work, smart technical means are showing a continuously increasing trend. The technological methods used in the "checkup" of Jiefang Bridge are a microcosm of the intelligent upgrading of bridge inspection.

From the traditional model of manual climbing and visual inspection to the technological era in which smart equipment plays a prominent role, bridge inspection is undergoing a dual improvement in efficiency and safety. In the past, manual inspection was less efficient and higher in risk; today, intelligent technology makes "checkups" more efficient and safer. According to the relevant person in charge, drones equipped with high-definition cameras can easily soar at high altitudes to identify problems such as bridge cracks and corrosion; for arch bridges, impact echo technology is used to inspect the internal conditions of bridge arch ribs, like giving the bridge a "B-ultrasound," which can penetrate concrete to detect the compactness of internal structures without drilling holes.

From the precise "checkup" of Jiefang Bridge to the iterative upgrading of urban bridge inspection technology, intelligent means are making every inspection data more reliable and every maintenance decision more scientific. This not only effectively extends the service life of bridges but also strengthens the safety defense line for public travel. "Old bridges" like Jiefang Bridge will also continue, under the escort of technology, to carry the city's memory and warmth, span the river in a more robust posture, and safeguard citizens' safe travel.