Drivers crossing the Guandu Yellow River Bridge in central China’s Henan Province see only routine traffic, but an invisible network of smart digital technologies operates above and below the asphalt.
Opened in October 2019, the eight-lane bridge faced mounting pressure for maintenance and safety management. To address slow response times and low efficiency in traditional upkeep, a full-process smart operations model was introduced.
Smart Drones and Digital Twins Transform Bridge Management
In March 2025, the bridge operator launched a dedicated drone inspection unit with two drone types. Multi-rotor drones conduct detailed surface checks, hazard verification, and 3D modeling. Fixed-wing drones patrol 35 kilometers in a single flight for long-distance highway surveillance.
Working alongside road administration teams and manual maintenance crews, the drones form an “air patrol plus ground watch” system for all-weather, area-wide coverage. The bridge’s intelligence extends beyond aerial patrols.
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A full-factor digital twin replicates the deck, guardrails, piers, and ancillary facilities in a virtual environment. Radar-vision devices detect illegal parking, intrusions, and facility abnormalities at night or in fog. When risks emerge, alerts link to the 3D model and pinpoint exact locations, replacing older mile-marker estimates.
Provincial Digital Infrastructure Expands Across Henan
The upgrade is part of a wider push in Henan, which developed rapid road-condition detection equipment and a smart maintenance platform. Shan Fei, general manager of Henan Transportation Development Research Institute Co., Ltd., stated the province completed digital data collection and 3D modeling for 31,000 kilometers of trunk highways.
Using positioning from China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and laser point cloud mapping, the database covers 127 asset types including roadbeds, pavements, bridges, tunnels, and traffic safety facilities. These asset types encompass everything from roadbeds to traffic safety installations, providing a full view for maintenance planning.
China’s broader push to fuse AI with transportation includes over 7,800 kilometers of expressways upgraded with digital and intelligent technologies. Liu Wei, China’s minister of transport, noted 60 automated terminals built and about 27 million pieces of equipment now using the BeiDou system.
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In 2025, 696 long-span bridges were included in a three level monitoring network linking national, provincial, and individual bridge systems. Basic bridge data and monitoring alerts are shared instantly across levels.
Policy support expanded in September 2025 when seven government departments, including the Ministry of Transport, issued AI application guidelines with a timetable and roadmap. Authorities launched an action plan in 2026 to create typical application scenarios in intelligent driving, smart highways, intelligent supervision, and smart shipping.
The plan aims for over 100 pilot projects and more than 1,000 innovators. Wang Yunpeng, chairman of the China Intelligent Transportation Systems Association, said AI plus transportation has become the new central thread in boosting China’s transport strength, accelerating toward digitalization, intelligence, integration, and green development.
