The world’s tallest bridge officially opened to traffic on Sunday morning in the mountainous province of Guizhou, southwest China. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge dramatically reduces travel time across a once-imposing canyon—from two hours to just two minutes—following three years of intensive construction.
Record-Breaking Height and Design
According to Xinhua News Agency, the bridge towers 625 metres above the Beipan River, making it nearly nine times taller than the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. With a main span stretching 1,420 metres, it now holds the title of the world’s longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in a mountainous region, as confirmed by provincial authorities.
Spanning the “Earth’s Crack”
The bridge crosses the Huajiang Grand Canyon, often referred to as “the Earth’s crack” due to its dramatic geography. Measuring a total of 2,890 metres in length, the structure is a key part of China’s rapidly growing infrastructure network, reflecting the ambitions of the world’s second-largest economy.
Breaking Previous Records
Located just over 100 kilometres from the previous record-holder—the Beipanjiang Bridge—the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge surpasses the 2016-built structure, which had a vertical clearance of 565.4 metres from deck to river below.
Guizhou: Home to Bridge-Building Feats
Despite being one of China’s less economically developed regions, Guizhou has emerged as a global hub for bridge engineering. Over the years, the province has constructed more than 30,000 bridges, including three of the world’s tallest. Remarkably, nearly half of the world’s 100 tallest bridges are located in Guizhou.
