The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge officially opened to traffic on Sunday, with Chinese state media declaring it the world’s tallest and largest span bridge built in a mountainous region. The bridge stretches across the Beipan River in China’s Guizhou Province, soaring 2,050 feet above the canyon floor. With a total length of nearly 10,000 feet and a main span of about 5,000 feet, the bridge now stands as a symbol of China’s rapid infrastructure development.
“Earth’s Crack” and Tourism Potential of Grand Canyon Bridge
According to Zhang Shenglin, chief engineer of the Guizhou Highway Engineering Group Company, the bridge spans what he called “earth’s crack.” He told China Daily that the project “will showcase China’s engineering capabilities and boost Guizhou’s goal of becoming a world-class tourist destination.”
The bridge was completed after three years of construction, significantly faster than the usual timeline for such megastructures.
Record-Breaking Construction Speed For Grand Canyon Bridge
Civil engineering professor Mamdouh El-Badry of the University of Calgary noted that a project of this scale would generally take at least five to 10 years. He said that timeframe accounts for “everything from groundbreaking to completion, depending on environmental, political and logistical factors.”
Despite the scale, the Huajiang Bridge has already slashed travel time in the area, cutting what was previously a two-hour drive down to just two minutes, according to Reuters.
The world’s tallest bridge passed the load-bearing test. 96 trucks were driven onto the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou, China. pic.twitter.com/oUfkHFIT2n
— Li Zexin 李泽欣 (@XH_Lee23) August 28, 2025
Grand Canyon Bridge As A Visitor Attraction
The bridge is not only a vital transport link but also a tourist draw. It features a high-speed glass elevator that transports visitors to a coffee shop 2,600 feet above the Beipan River. For thrill seekers, attractions include a 1,900-foot-high glass walkway and bungee jumping opportunities.
Guizhou Province, home to roughly 40 million people, has been at the center of China’s aggressive infrastructure campaign tied to poverty alleviation efforts. Today, it boasts more than 32,000 bridges either completed or under construction—compared with just 2,900 in the 1980s.
The province is already home to the Duge Bridge, which opened in 2016 and now ranks as the world’s second-highest bridge.
Tallest Bridges In The World
Until now, France’s Millau Viaduct held the record for the world’s tallest bridge. The viaduct spans 8,070 feet across the Tarn River and stands nearly 1,000 feet above the water. It is supported by seven concrete pillars, each 1,125 feet tall “taller than the Eiffel Tower,” according to the European Space Agency.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge in the northwest holds the title for the world’s longest suspension bridge, stretching more than a mile across the Dardanelles Strait.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
