"湘江边，搭轮渡，一搭搭到五一路。"一首老长沙童谣，记录了50多年前长沙人过湘江的情形。 被誉为山水洲城的长沙，一条湘江由南往北穿城而过，将长沙城划分为河东与河西。1972年国庆前夕，橘子 洲大桥（旧称长沙湘江大桥、湘江一桥）正式建成通车，结束了湘江两岸长期以来依靠轮渡过河的历史。 一根根桥墩嵌入江心，如同时代的锚点，"一江两岸"格局自此打开，"一体两翼"时代乘势而来。在长沙市城 市建设档案馆（以下简称"长沙城建档案馆"）里，一张张泛黄的图纸与卷宗，记录着这段沉甸甸的"城"长记忆。 长沙城建档案馆内留存的《长沙湘江大桥技术总结》内，记录了不少当时的建设细节。 【档案点击】 "天堑变通途"，半个世纪后依旧繁忙 "大桥建成，'天堑变通途'，使长沙和益阳、常德、湘西等地区更加紧密地联系在一起……"在长沙城建档案 馆内，看到一本由当时工程指挥部编写的《长沙湘江大桥技术总结》。泛黄的纸张，不仅详细记录了大桥的正 桥、引桥、桔洲（即"橘子洲"）支桥结构等专业设计参数，也透露出不少当时建设的细节。 根据《长沙市志》记载，历史上，因湘江跨度大而东西两岸交往较少，居民们要互通有无，只能走水路。 1951年10月1日，大西门（五 ...

Core Points - The Orange Isle Bridge in Changsha has undergone quality upgrades and was unveiled to the public on April 30, 2023, marking its 50th anniversary since completion [2] - The bridge, originally completed in 1972, transformed transportation across the Xiang River, ending reliance on ferries and facilitating connections between Changsha and surrounding regions [3][4] - The construction of the bridge involved significant community effort, with over 800,000 volunteers contributing to its completion in just one year [7] Historical Context - The Orange Isle Bridge, also known as the Changsha Xiangjiang Bridge, was built to address the limited transportation options across the Xiang River, which previously relied on ferries that faced capacity and weather-related challenges [4][6] - The bridge was constructed with a budget of 20 million yuan, with 18 million yuan allocated for practical engineering costs, and the savings were used for additional infrastructure projects along the river [5][6] Development Impact - Since its opening, the Orange Isle Bridge has become one of the busiest crossings in Changsha, with peak traffic exceeding 6,000 vehicles per hour, compared to the original design capacity of 5,000 vehicles per day [9] - The bridge has played a crucial role in the urban development of Changsha, facilitating the integration of the eastern and western parts of the city and contributing to a balanced urban growth strategy [9]