CHINA OPENS WORLD’S NEW TALLEST BRIDGE

China had already held the world record for the tallest bridge. On September 28, 2025, they broke their old record with the opening of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, nearly 2051 feet above the Beipan River. The bridge was built in Guizhou Province, a Chinese province known for its rough landscape, including mountains, deep river valleys, tall rock towers, and deep sinkholes. The striking landscape not only makes for picturesque scenery but also makes travel extremely difficult. The bridge was built across the Huajiang Grand Canyon, a canyon so deep and long that it is often referred to as “Earth’s Crack”. This new bridge is hoped to make travel in the province much faster.

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is a suspension bridge. This means it has a middle part that hangs under two supports, without any other supports under the bridge. The central section is held up by two strong cables that hang from the towers. Other examples of suspension bridges include the Golden Gate Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The bridge’s central portion is nearly a mile long, while the whole bridge spans 1.8 miles. The construction of the bridge took nearly three years and cost $295 million.

Since the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is at such a high position, the constructors took many steps to ensure its safety. In the final test before its opening, more than 400 sensors were placed along the bridge, along with 96 trucks to simulate realistic traffic.

The bridge will be incorporated into the Guizhou S57 highway. Before the bridge was built, the only way across the canyon was along long, winding roads through the mountains, resulting in a trip of over 70 minutes. Now, with the new bridge, it takes barely over one minute to cross the canyon.

However, the engineers who designed the bridge want traffic slowed down so they can turn it into a tourist destination. This is because “the view from the bridge is fantastic,” as one of the workers on the bridge said. There is a special glass walkway under the bridge to view the river beneath. There is also a glass elevator leading to a cafe with walls of glass, with views of the canyon from 800 meters up in the air. If that isn’t enough, visitors can also enjoy bungee jumping, jumping off the bridge while being tied to a stretchy bungee cord.

China has put a lot of effort into improving transport in Guizhou. In the 1980s, there were fewer than 3000 bridges. Now, there are over 32,000 bridges, with almost half of the world’s 100 tallest bridges.

Sources: https://newsforkids.net/articles/2025/10/15/china-opens-worlds-tallest-bridge/