Empire of Japan On 24 March 1936, the local people of the area set up a committee to construct a bridge over the
Zhuoshui River. They pledged construction effort to the
Japanese government and work began in October 1937. As of March 1940, 32 piers had been completed. However, construction was suspended after the outbreak of
war against the United States on 7 December 1941. The Japanese government then moved the materials for the bridge to
Hainan,
Republic of China.
Republic of China After the
handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China in 1945, the Xiluo Bridge Reconstruction Committee was established in 1948. On 26 January 1950, personnel from
Taiwan Provincial Government,
legislators, engineers of
Economic Cooperation Administration, Council for United States (US) Aids conducted a site survey. In 1951, the
US Government spent US$1.3 million for the steel material and the Taiwan Provincial Government also provided NT$6 million for the project. The Taiwan Machinery Manufacturing Corporation and the Mechanical Engineering Department of the
Ministry of Economic Affairs were in charge of the bridge erection and painting projects respectively. The construction of the bridge resumed on 28 May 1952 and completed on 25 December the same year. The inauguration ceremony of the bridge was held on 24 January 1953. ==Technical detail==