May 2, 2025
BEIJING – The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Southwest China’s Guizhou province will open in the second half of 2025 and become the world’s tallest bridge.
After completing the main structure on Jan 17, bridge builders have continued working high above the ground ready for the completion of the milestone project.
The bridge is a key project on the expressway that links the Liuzhi special district of Guizhou’s Liupanshui city and Anlong county of Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture in Guizhou.
The construction of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is underway in Guizhou province on April 21, 2025. PHOTO: CHINA DAILY
With a main span of 1,420 meters and a height of 625 meters above water level, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, once completed, will be the world’s highest bridge and the longest-span mountain bridge.
The bridge will reduce Liuzhi-Anlong travel time from 3 hours to 1.5 hours, facilitating resource connectivity and economic development in Guizhou.
Workers perform high-altitude operations on the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province on Sept 11, 2024. PHOTO: CHINA DAILY
At the project’s inception, the average age of the project management team was 28, with over 90 percent being under 35. Young workers have been integral in many challenging tasks, from the initial survey team braving high temperatures, dense forests, and cliffs in the summer of 2020, to welders completing millimeter-precision welding in strong canyon winds.
Wang Songyu, the deputy project manager, recalls crews working around the clock in shifts in order to complete the main tower top-off. “It was like passing the baton,” Wang said. “The sound of the late-night meal delivery truck rolling over the steel plates is unforgettable.”
A photo shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge under construction in Guizhou province on Sept 11, 2024. PHOTO: CHINA DAILY
Faced with extremely heavy bridge segments and canyon winds that sometimes exceeded force 12 on the Beaufort scale, the construction team independently developed heavy-duty climbing scaffolding and a smart cable hoisting system based on positioning from the Beidou satellite, capable of lifting steel truss girders weighing up to 215 tons with millimeter precision.
The welding requirements for the bridge project are stringent. Welders must hold a national certification. To address porosity in welds caused by strong canyon winds, the construction team innovated a windproof welding technology.
Workers operate on the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province on Sept 11, 2024. PHOTO: CHINA DAILY
The bridge will feature a high-altitude glass observation deck and cliffside walkways, and create a one-hour tourism circle with nearby attractions like Huangguoshu Waterfall. The builders have constructed the bridge and incorporated scenic walkways.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge and the integrated tourism development projects will be completed and operational simultaneously, becoming China’s first bridge complex combining sightseeing, sports experience, and tourism services.
Workers cooperate on the nearly completed Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province on April 21, 2025. PHOTO: CHINA DAILY