New bridge in Guizhou to hit world record

Huajiang Canyon Bridge is currently under construction and expected to open to traffic in 2025. [Photo/colorful Guizhou network]

The construction of the Huajiang Canyon Bridge, which crosses the Beipan River, in Southwest China's Guizhou province started in 2021, and will open to traffic in 2025.

According to Guizhou Bridge Construction Group, the bridge is designed to be 2,890 meters long with the tower reaching 262 meters, a record height. Currently, the bridge tower is 199 meters tall, and the construction of the upper crossbeam is underway.

The main span of the bridge consists of a 1,420-meter steel armature suspension bridge, which is currently the longest span in the mountain and canyon areas. The height difference from the bridge to the water is 625 meters, making it the world's highest bridge once it is completed.

The height of 625 meters is equivalent to more than 200 stories, this means that the construction of the bridge is affected by canyon winds from time to time.

To ensure safe construction, the construction team installed wind monitoring instruments at the top of the mountains to collect canyon wind data in real time, so as to avoid the worst of the canyon winds during construction.

Once constructed, the bridge will become Guizhou's first bridge that integrates sightseeing with high-altitude adventure. It will become a scenic spot, a demonstration for bridge and tourism integration, and a world-famous canyon extreme sports resort.

The bridge is also expected to boost the development of tourism resources in the surrounding ethnic villages, and become part of Guizhou's bridge resources together with the Baling River Bridge and Pingtang Bridge.