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China on Sunday opened the world’s tallest bridge in the mountainous province of Guizhou, completing a project that took more than three years.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge reduces travel across the gorge from two hours to just two minutes.
The bridge rises 625 meters (2,051 feet) above the Beipan River, making it nearly nine times taller than San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
With a main span of 1,420 meters, it holds the record as the longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in mountainous terrain.
The overall structure extends 2,890 meters across the Huajiang Grand Canyon, a landscape often referred to as "Earth’s crack."
Officials highlighted that the new crossing provides substantial improvements in regional connectivity.
Zhang Yin, head of the provincial transport department, said the bridge would "inject new impetus into regional economic and social development."
By cutting travel time so drastically, it is expected to ease transport for local residents and businesses in one of China’s less developed areas.
Construction teams faced major challenges building at such an altitude, requiring the use of advanced tools such as satellite navigation, drones and smart monitoring systems.
The project achieved millimeter-level precision and introduced ultra-high-strength materials.
Authorities reported that the bridge has secured 21 patents, with some of its design features now adopted into China’s national bridge standards, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Guizhou has emerged as a hub for large-scale bridge engineering, despite being one of China’s least developed provinces.
Over 30,000 bridges have been built across its rugged terrain, three of which rank among the tallest in the world.
Nearly half of the globe’s 100 highest bridges are located in this single province.
The previous record-holder, also over the Beipan River and about 100 kilometers (62.1 miles) away, opened in 2016 with a vertical clearance of 565.4 meters.
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