The newly constructed Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Southwest China has cleared its final load test and is on track to become the world’s tallest bridge, connecting previously isolated regions in Guizhou province, as reported by local newspaper China Daily. Spanning the Beipan River gorge in Huajiang town, the bridge crosses limestone cliffs formed from ancient Triassic seas, historically making human passage impossible. The total length of the bridge is 2,890 metres, with a central span of 1,420 metres. At 625 metres above the water, it will claim the title of the world’s highest bridge. The final load test, conducted on Monday, included 96 heavy trucks weighing a total of 3,300 tonnes. Over 400 sensors monitored the bridge’s structural response, measuring minute movements in the main span, towers, cables, and suspenders. After five days of testing, the bridge met all safety requirements for structural strength, stiffness, and dynamic performance. Traffic is expected to begin in late September.The load test is considered the final step before the bridge welcomes traffic. “This bridge is an unprecedented engineering feat,” said Wu Zhaoming of Guizhou Transportation Investment Group Co., Ltd., noting the challenges of temperature control during concrete pouring, slope stabilisation in steep terrain, and strong winds, as quoted by China Daily. Construction began in January 2022, with the main span completed this year. The bridge will slash travel times across the canyon from two hours to just two minutes, serving as a vital expressway link in Guizhou’s effort to modernise its interior transport network. Guizhou, China’s only province without plains, has long relied on bridges and tunnels to navigate its rugged karst terrain. The province now contains over 30,000 bridges, including three of the world’s highest. Nearly half of the 100 tallest bridges globally are in Guizhou, earning it the nickname “the world’s bridge museum.” The total length of bridges in the province, including those under construction, exceeds 5,400 kilometres—roughly the distance from north to south China.
