Set to open to motorists in September, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge passed a crucial stress test this week, Chinese media reported. Ninety-six lorries carrying 3,360 tonnes drove across the bridge over five days.
When complete, the bridge will be the world’s highest. The structure, 2,890 metres long, is expected to open late next month, boosting tourism prospects for the province.
It spans the Beipan River in Guizhou province at a height of 625 metres from the canyon floor. Guizhou in south-west China is known for its rugged mountainous terrain and the giant suspension bridge will cut short an hour-long trip across the canyon, replacing it with a 90-second scenic drive.
It will also have integrated tourism offerings including a glass walkway, bungee jumping, paragliding and rope swinging, China Daily reported.
The bridge, which is part of the wider 152km road called the Liuzhi-Anlong Expressway, cost about $280 million to build, a Metro UK report revealed.
When compared to other well-known bridges in the world, the Huajiang will top the list for the highest, based on deck height, but will not be the tallest.
Guinness World Records uses different measures for the highest and tallest, respectively – deck height (from the bridge deck or roadway to the ground or water surface directly beneath it) or structural height (maximum vertical distance from a bridge's highest point – like the top of a tower – to its lowest exposed part).
The world’s tallest bridge, based on the above definition, is Millau Viaduct in France, which opened in 2004, with a structural height of 343 metres.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is set to topple Beipanjiang or Duge as the highest based on deck height. Duge Bridge, only 200km upstream of the same river in China, has a deck height of 565 metres.
