The world’s tallest bridge that’s just opened and cost £219m to build | World | News
The world’s highest bridge has officially opened to traffic and at a massive 650 metres, it’s twice the size of London’s Shard. The bridge spans the Beipan River in China’s Guizhou province, and local officials said it would cut travel time from two hours to just two minutes.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge opened on September 28 and took three years to build. The bridge connects Liuzhi and Anlong towns on the Beipan River with Guanling and Zhenfeng counties. Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge was also named the world’s longest bridge in the mountainous region. However, the structure is expected to offer much more than just a bridge or transit route.
The bridge has a 207-meter sightseeing elevator, a cafe 800 meters above the river and a glass walkway 1900 meters high. People can also try bungee jumping from the bridge or even parachuting over the canyon.
Weighing an incredible 22,000 tonnes (about the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers), the steel lattice suspension bridge is a true engineering marvel.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge was built at a cost of 2.1 billion yuan, which equates to approximately £219 million.
Construction officially began on January 18, 2022 and took approximately three and a half years to complete. The bridge has a hybrid suspension design, reinforced with a 22,000-tonne steel truss system and supported by two high columns, one rising to 262 meters and the other to 205 meters.
To ensure it met safety standards, engineers conducted a five-day testing phase in August.
As part of the process, 96 trucks were strategically placed across the bridge to assess its structural strength. This was the last safety check before the bridge was officially opened for public use.
The bridge is located in one of the most geologically challenging regions of China, built between steep canyon cliffs. Engineers had to account for strong valley winds and temperature changes throughout the year.
To overcome these conditions, the structure was designed with advanced wind-resistant engineering, materials that accommodate thermal expansion, and integrated monitoring systems that will maintain its stability over time.
