The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in China’s Guizhou Province is now the tallest bridge on Earth, reducing travel time from two hours to two minutes.
GUIZHOU: China has unveiled the world’s tallest bridge — the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge — soaring 625 metres above the Beipan River in the mountainous province of Guizhou. The bridge officially opened to traffic on Sunday, reducing a previously arduous two-hour journey across the canyon to just two minutes.
With a total length of 2,890 metres and a main span of 1,420 metres, the new structure is now the world’s longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in mountainous terrain. This engineering feat cements China’s status as a global leader in high-altitude infrastructure development.
Built over three years, the bridge connects both sides of the Huajiang Grand Canyon — nicknamed “the Earth’s crack” — and is nearly nine times the height of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The record it surpasses was held by another bridge just 100 kilometres away, also spanning the Beipan River, which stood at 565.4 metres.
The project forms part of China’s broader effort to transform rural and remote provinces through infrastructure. Guizhou, long considered one of China’s less developed regions, has now built more than 30,000 bridges — including three of the world’s tallest. Nearly half of the top 100 tallest bridges globally are located in this one province alone.
Chinese authorities highlighted the bridge’s importance for boosting local transport, economic connectivity, and tourism. The Huajiang Bridge is expected to not only streamline logistics and road travel but also become a major architectural landmark, drawing attention to the country’s continuing investment in cutting-edge transport solutions.
