Built at 2,050 feet, costing $283 million: How Chinese engineers built the world’s tallest bridge in just three years

China’s Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, soon to be the tallest bridge in the world, has taken a major step toward opening after passing its final static load test. The structure, perched high above the dramatic karst mountains of Guizhou Province in southwest China, is being hailed as an “unprecedented engineering feat.”

Construction of the bridge began in January 2022 and, in just three years, it has risen into a record-setting marvel. The structure soars 2,050 feet above the canyon floor, making it the tallest bridge on Earth once it opens.

Get ready to cross the world's tallest bridge! The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in south China's Guizhou Province has officially completed its final load test, paving the way for its opening in late September. Standing an incredible 625 meters, the bridge is set to break two… pic.twitter.com/4Q8fvVZRai

— China Takeaway (@China24Official) August 26, 2025

For perspective, the height is nine times greater than London’s Tower Bridge and double that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The project cost about 283 million dollars and adds to Guizhou’s growing reputation as “the world’s bridge museum.” The province already boasts more than 30,000 bridges, including some of the tallest ever built.

Project manager Wu Zhaoming from Guizhou Transportation Investment Group Co, Ltd. described the scale of challenges his team faced. “The team had to overcome a series of challenges, from keeping temperatures stable during massive concrete pours to reinforcing steep canyon slopes and withstanding the area’s notorious high winds,” he said.

Despite these difficulties, the bridge was finished in record time. Engineers now call it the largest span bridge ever built in a mountainous region, a project that has stretched the limits of modern engineering.

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is scheduled to officially open in September and is expected to transform daily life for commuters. The journey between Liuzhi and Anlong, which once took two hours, will now take only two minutes.

Beyond travel, officials believe the bridge will boost local tourism and bring new economic opportunities to the region. China already dominates global bridge rankings, with eight of the ten tallest bridges in operation located in the country. Guizhou alone continues to push boundaries in bridge construction.

From 21 to 25 August, the bridge underwent its most critical safety check. Engineers rolled 96 trucks, each weighing 35 tonnes, onto the span in carefully controlled stages. Together, the trucks carried a combined load of 3,360 tonnes.

🌉The world's tallest bridge is entering load testing! The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou is undergoing tests with over 3,300 metric tons of weight to ensure safety ahead of its grand opening. pic.twitter.com/L5KeqJ548b — Guizhou, China (@iloveguizhou) August 22, 2025

They were moved slowly across the bridge and stationed at precise points to simulate the stresses of daily traffic. To ensure accuracy, more than 400 sensors were placed across the main span, towers, cables, and suspenders, recording even the slightest movement.