China Opens World’s Highest Bridge at Huajiang Grand Canyon
State media reported on Sunday that China has opened what officials describe as the world’s highest bridge, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, perched about 625 meters above a deep gorge in Guizhou’s mountainous south. The project surpasses the nearby Beipanjiang Bridge, which held the record at 565 meters above the Beipan River and opened to traffic in 2016. In Huajiang, the new crossing forms a crucial link across the canyon, with a main span of 1,420 meters whose pylons rise into the misty heights while the deck stretches across the chasm like a thread between two sides of the landscape.
Design, span, and opening ceremony
Images broadcast by state television show the scale of the undertaking: a long steel-and-concrete viaduct crossing a dramatic gorge, supported by towering pylons that disappear into the clouds. After three years of construction, engineers, local officials, and onlookers gathered for the ceremony. Zhang Yin, the head of the province’s transport department, described the achievement as a symbol of innovation and resilience, noting that the bridge would dramatically shorten a travel route that previously took about two hours to mere minutes—roughly two minutes, she said—thereby accelerating economic and social exchange between the two sides of the gorge.
Implications for Guizhou and China’s infrastructure push
The opening of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge reflects a broader, decades-long push by China to build mega-infrastructures in a bid to sustain rapid growth and urbanization. Guizhou Province—renowned for its rugged terrain and dramatic landscapes—has become a focal point of this strategy, and sources indicate it hosts roughly half of the world’s 100 highest bridges. The bridge is expected to boost not only passenger travel but also freight movement, tourism, and local enterprises by improving access to resources and markets in the region.
Clarifying records: height vs. structure
Media coverage emphasizes the 625-meter clearance above the canyon floor as a world record for a bridge’s deck height. However, comparisons with the Millau Viaduct in southern France illustrate a key distinction: Millau remains the highest bridge by the overall height of its structure, at about 343 meters. The Huajiang project thus stands out for its exceptional vertical clearance above ground, while Millau holds the separate title for the tallest single structure above its terrain. The distinction matters for how “highest” is defined in bridge engineering and record-keeping.
What this means for travelers and the region
With the new crossing in place, traffic across the gorge is expected to flow more smoothly, easing commutes and opening new avenues for commerce and tourism. The Huajiang bridge adds a critical link to a network aimed at improving connectivity across Guizhou’s challenging topography, aligning with national goals to reinforce regional development, reduce travel times, and spur economic activity in western China. Beyond the immediate benefits, the project signals the continuing role of large-scale infrastructure in shaping the social and economic landscape of the country.
