Abstract: To address the high energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with conventional transportation systems
in open-pit mines,this paper proposes an overhead bridge-suspended haulage system. The system comprises an engineered
bridge spanning the mine′s upper and lower walls,equipped with multiple tracks operated by drag winches. Under the drag winches,
a steel-wire-rope-suspended skip is deployed. The ore is hoisted to the open-pit mine surface via the skip,then unloaded
into either an ore collection bin or a fixed crushing station,and finally transported to the processing plant. The overhead bridgesuspended
haulage system primarily comprises the bridge,conveyor tracks,a control system,drag winches,and ore skips. Using
an iron mine case study,this paper conducts a techno-economic comparative analysis of the proposed system. Results indicate
that the horizontal transport speed of the drag winch constrains the overall mine transportation efficiency more significantly than
the vertical lifting speed of the ore skip. Although bridge construction may impose minor adverse effects on slope stability,such
impacts remain negligible and do not compromise overall slope integrity. By comparing the capital expenditures and operational
costs of the original mine transport design,we conclude that if the bridge-suspended system′s construction cost is capped at
￥835. 436 million and the drag winch′s horizontal energy consumption remains below 146. 7 kW/ kt,the system demonstrates
superior cost efficiency over existing solutions. This novel transportation solution demonstrates significant potential for optimi
zing spatial utilization in open-pit mines while advancing intelligent,unmanned mining operations. By enabling vertical integration
of material handling processes,the system provides a sustainable pathway for the digital transformation of metal open-pit
mining.

Key words: open-pit mine,overhead bridge-suspended haulage system,bridge,skip,numerical simulation,technical and
economic analysis