China inaugurated the world’s highest bridge, located 2050 feet (625 meters) above the Beipan River in southern Guizhou province. The height of this bridge is almost double that of the previous highest bridge, the Royal Gorge Bridge, which is 956feet above the Arkansas River in Colorado, US.
This bridge also sets another record for the world’s longest bridge span in mountainous regions, with a length of 4600 feet.
They constructed this project over a period of three years and eight months. According to the Chinese officials, the bridge will reduce the time span between the two sides from 2 hours to 2 minutes and connect the major tourist places.
The bridge also provides an adventurous experience to visitors. It features high-speed glass elevators that transport visitors 2,600 feet above the river, where they can enjoy a cup of coffee. Other adventurous experiences visitors can enjoy are bungee jumping and a 1900-foot-high glass walkway.
Guizhou province is among the least developed regions of the country. The intentions were to speed up the transportation across the region, increase tourism, and promote economic growth.
The Grand Canyon Bridge Cost:
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge captured global attention not just for its stunning views but also for its cost comparison. A viral post on X stated that they built the bridge for less than the price of a single F-22 fighter jet. Despite Guizhou’s limited funding and a lot of challenges, they managed everything effectively within tight budget constraints.
The Home of Bridges
Guizhou province is famous for its magnificent bridges, with over 32000 bridges, including those still under construction. Almost half of the world’s 100 tallest bridges are in this province.
This bridge construction has created over 500,000 jobs and generated a trillion-yuan value in tourism, logistics, and several other sectors.
Important Dates
18 January 2022 – Work on the bridge began.
21 August 2025 – Load testing commenced.
25 August – Load testing completed successfully.
28 September 2025 – The bridge officially opened to the public.
Span Length Increased
In the early stage of the design, the bridge span was only 1360 meters. During the final design, they detected the geological issues; to avoid the geological factors, the span increased to 1420 meters. The decision was unintentional, but it made the world’s longest span in a mountainous canyon.
They built the bridge’s main span in a factory using 110,000 separate steel members. Then, they transported the members to the site and assembled them section by section. All the assembled sections were transported to the site by road, then, with a cable crane system, it was lifted to the centre and positioned from the centre to both sides to form the bridge.
Technologies used in this process: Information control, automated control, positioning, and navigation.
The construction team used around 22000 tons of truss steel in the bridge, which is more than double the steel used in the Eiffel Tower.
Technical Issues:
Heavy and Large Saddle:
Because of the large span heavy saddle of over 400+ tonnes is required, which is hard to handle.
Stronger Material:
Standard steel lacked the strength to bear the load and required extremely strong steel.
Complex Forging Process:
Forging 50cm plates under high pressure was difficult.
Segmented Installation:
Lifting and installing the saddle in three large segments requires precise lifting and alignment.
Welding Challenges:
Forged plates require special welding techniques and skilled labourers for advanced welding techniques.
Three Major Challenges:
The bridge has encountered several technical and structural challenges due to wind resistance, geological conditions, and height.
1. Extreme Wind Conditions:
The Huajiang canyon has rapidly changing ultra-strong winds and strong analysis.
Solution: Engineers use LiDAR technology to study the wind behaviour, run 3D modelling and wind tunnel tests, and develop a deflector plus damper system to keep the bridge stable under extreme conditions.
2. Complex Geological Conditions:
The bridge site crosses 17 fault zones, making the ground highly unstable, described as driving poles into tofu.
Solution: Engineers pioneered deeply embedded anchored technology, embedding 200000 tons of anchorage 120 meters into bedrock, setting a world record.
3. Bridge Construction in Hard Conditions:
Transporting, assembling, and hoisting massive components in a wide and deep canyon presented extreme construction challenges.
Solution: Factory-made components were precisely assembled and hoisted into place with high accuracy, overcoming site limitations.
Load Test
Before the bridge opened to the public, they conducted a load test to check its load-bearing capacity. For the 5 days, 96 big trucks drove over the bridge and parked along it. Sensors fitted on the bridge tracked how the bridge responds to static load as well as dynamic load.
In mountainous areas like Guizhou, where flat land is scarce, China is not only making transportation easier by building bridges but also creating job opportunities for residents. These bridges are strengthening China’s road network and making a significant contribution to the country’s economy. In the coming years, Guizhou province will have 32,000 functional bridges.
