Photos of remarkable structures from around the world have been shared on social media platforms. Recently, a viral claim circulated, suggesting that a photo of a steel and concrete bridge was a Russian bridge crossing the Yenisei River. This claim sparked widespread discussion among social media users. However, our investigation revealed that the claim is false.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A viral social media claim has been circulating, stating that an image of a steel bridge is a Russian structure spanning the Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk.
This assertion has been widely shared by social media users, prompting discussions about the authenticity of the image and its actual location.
Below is the screenshot of the social media post on January 8, 2025, stating: “Witness the grandeur of the Yenisei River Bridge in Krasnoyarsk, Russia! This stunning steel-concrete arch bridge spans the mighty Yenisei River, featuring six lanes in both directions. One of the largest bridges in the world, it’s an engineering marvel you have to see!”
Another Facebook user also circulated the same claim, saying the steel-concrete bridge is located in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
Below is the snapshot of the claim circulated on Facebook about a week ago, stating: “This is the Yenisei River giant bridge in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Look at the steel-concrete arch bridge, which has six lanes in both directions. This is apparently the world’s largest bridge.”
The same claim was also circulated on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) three days ago.
Below is the screenshot of the claim tweeted on X three days ago, stating: “This is the Yenisei River giant bridge in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Look at the steel-concrete arch bridge, which has six lanes in both directions. This is apparently the world’s largest bridge.”
As the claim is going viral on social media platforms, similar claims and posts can be seen via various links: Link 1 (archived), Link 2 (archived), Link 3 (archived), and Link 4 (archived).
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo began debunking the claim by running a Google Reverse Image Search which led us to the following facts.
By performing a reverse image search, we found that the same image has been widely shared across various social media platforms and websites.
The image was circulated on social media platforms by a Facebook page called Highway Engineering Discoveries, claiming it to be the Dafagu Bridge — a steel-concrete arch structure located in Guizhou province, southwestern China.
Below is the screenshot of the Facebook post nearly two weeks ago captioned “The Dafagu Extra Large Bridge in Guizhou is another steel concrete arch bridge with six lanes in both directions.”
By searching for “Dafagu Bridge” on Google, we found many images and detailed information about the structure, published by Chinese media outlets last year.
According to a report by Xinhua, the Dafagu Grand Bridge connects the Renhuai-Zunyi Expressway in Guizhou province, southwestern China.
China’s state-owned news agency released several photos of the bridge, showcasing the red steel-concrete arch structure supporting the 410-meter span as it soars over a valley.
Below is one of the photos published by Xinhua in early 2023, showing the Dafagu Bridge connecting Renhuai-Zunyi expressway in Guizhou province.
Xinhua’s Photography | Archived Link
In addition to the photos released by Xinhua, additional images were published by Global Times, another Chinese media outlet, in 2021 during the construction phase.
Below is the screenshot of one of the photos published by the Global Times in 2021, showing the bridge construction was underway at the time.
Below is a screenshot of one of the photos published by the Global Times in early 2022, showcasing the spectacular Dafagu Bridge as it emerges through the clouds across the valley.
Below is a video clip of the Dafagu Bridge published on YouTube about four months ago. Additionally, numerous other video clips of the bridge can be found and watched on YouTube.
While our investigation above reveals that this is not a structure in Russia as claimed, we also searched for photos and information about the steel-concrete bridge in Krasnoyarsk.
By searching with the keyword “Krasnoyarsk bridge” on Google, the results show that the photos of the structure crossing the Yenisei River in Russia are completely different from those of the Chinese bridge.
“Below is a snapshot of a photo of the Krasnoyarsk Bridge, published on the website of Alamy—a stock photography agency based in the United Kingdom.
Below is a video clip of the Krasnoyarsk Bridge crossing the Yenisei River in Russia. Additionally, there are numerous video clips of the Russian structure available on YouTube.
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CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo determined that the above claim is false. The photo is not of the Russian structure crossing the Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk, as claimed on social media. It is the Dafagu Bridge, which connects the Renhuai-Zunyi Expressway in Guizhou province, southwestern China.
