NEW HEIGHTS

Spectacular Design ‘Miracle’ Bridge Opens With Bungee Jumps

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge opens to break two records.

China broke its own record after unveiling the world’s tallest bridge, a project hailed as an “infrastructure miracle.” The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge stands 2,050 feet above a river and gorge. Chinese state media reported that the structure, in the southern province of Guizhou, is also the world’s longest bridge in a mountainous region at 4,600 feet long. The Huajing Bridge is more than twice as high the highest bridge in the United States, Colorado’s 956-feet high Royal Gorge Bridge. The project took nearly four years to complete. “Leaving now is bittersweet, but this isn’t the end,” technician Tian Hongrui told CCTV News. “It’s the start of a new chapter.” The mega structure will allow for faster transportation, reducing the travel time from opposing sides of the canyon from two hours to two minutes. The bridge also aims to generate tourism and economic growth. Guizhou has undergone an infrastructure campaign to combat poverty, resulting in 32,000 bridge projects. The Huajiang Bridge, featuring a high-speed glass elevator, bungee jumping, and a 1,900-foot-high glass walkway, beats previous record holder, the 1,854-foot-high Duge Bridge, which opened in 2016, also in Guizhou.