A bird's-eye view of a Chinese bridge that is set to become the world's tallest has been released.
The Huajing Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province will span 625 meters (2,050 feet) above the Beipan River, making it twice the height of the Eiffel Tower.
People crossing the 2,890-meter (9,481-foot) long gorge will cut travel time from more than an hour to just one minute, the government hopes, boosting tourism and promoting “rural revitalization”, according to the state-run China Global Television Network.
Aerial cameras showed the bridge's towers being installed by cranes and the main steel cables stretching to another tower that appears to be completed.
Against the rugged landscape of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, a worker can be seen standing on one of the bridge's two end girders, which run lengthwise along the bridge's side panels.
The Huajing Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou province will be the world's tallest bridge when completed. (Photo: Chinese state media Xinhua)
China has embarked on many ambitious infrastructure projects, and bridges are no exception: China is home to 18 of the 20 highest bridges on earth, according to Highestbridges.com, a website run by engineering enthusiasts.
State media previously reported that the project is scheduled to begin in 2021, with work on the last tower scheduled to be completed in October 2023 after more than 670 days.
The bridge is scheduled to be completed next year, according to Xinhua. Newsweek has reached out in writing to China's Foreign Ministry for comment.
Alimak, the Stockholm-based company that provided equipment for the construction, previously said the project faced “unique challenges.” “The location in a high plateau region results in large temperature differences between day and night, as well as a high probability of strong convective weather and valley winds throughout the year,” a company representative said.
Alimak did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Currently, the tallest bridge in the world is the Duge Bridge, which was completed in 2016. It stretches 4,396 feet from Guizhou province over the Beipan Mountains into neighboring Yunnan province. It is a four-lane cable-stayed bridge with a deck height of 1,854 feet and a main span of 2,360 feet.
Another suspension bridge over the Lancang River in Yunnan, the Yongchang Lancang Bridge, will be built at a slightly lower height of 2,001 feet. The project is scheduled for completion in 2027.
Guizhou is one of China's less densely populated provinces, with a population of 38.5 million, smaller than the Shanghai metropolitan area.
The state is rich in natural resources, with forestry and mining being important to the local economy, and it is also known for its natural beauty, making it a major destination for mountain tourism.