• The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge has successfully passed its load tests.
• Upon completion, it will be the tallest and longest span bridge in mountainous regions.
• The bridge is expected to greatly reduce travel times across the canyon.

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou Province, China, has successfully completed its final load testing, marking a significant milestone as it prepares to become the tallest bridge in the world. Spanning nearly 2,900 meters with a central span of 1,420 meters, this engineering marvel is designed to stand 625 meters above the Beipan River gorge, connecting regions previously isolated by challenging terrain, according to Africanews and Times of India.

The load tests saw 96 trucks with a combined weight of 3,300 tonnes cross the bridge over five days, utilizing over 400 sensors to monitor the structure's response to stress and movement. Engineers confirmed that the bridge met all necessary safety standards for structural strength, stiffness, and dynamic performance, with traffic anticipated to start by late September 2023. Wu Zhaoming from the Guizhou Transportation Investment Group described the construction as “an unprecedented engineering feat,” emphasizing the challenges dealt with, including slope stabilization and the effects of weather during construction, according to Times of India and Newsweek.

The bridge not only holds records for height but also for its role in speeding up travel times across the mountain region, reducing a journey that once took two hours to merely two minutes. This development is part of a broader infrastructure initiative intended to modernize transport networks across Guizhou, a province noted for its challenging karst geography and historical reliance on bridges. Notably, nearly half of the world's tallest bridges are found in this region, earning it the title of "the world's bridge museum," according to Africanews, Times of India, and Newsweek.