China has completed the construction of the world's highest bridge, which stands 565 meters above a river in southwestern China's Guizhou province

The completion of the Beipanjiang Bridge is another world record for China in infrastructure. The new bridge is taller than the former world tallest bridge, the Si Du River Bridge in China's central Hubei province. The two edges of the striking bridge were linked over the weekend. The bridge spans 2,362-feet between mountains and 1,854-feet above the river below, according to the Washington Post. 

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The new bridge is part of a highway linking the eastern city of Hangzhou to Yunnan province. The 3,404-km highway connects eastern and southwestern China and cuts across several cities including Huangshan, Zunyi, Liupanshui, Kunming, and Dali.

The construction of the Beipanjiang Bridge started in 2013 with about 1,000 engineers and technicians. The total cost of the bridge is 1.03 billion yuan ($156 million). The bridge project is a part of the country’s plan to improve its transport infrastructure over the next three years. The plan covers 303 projects including railways, highways, and urban rail.

“The bridge is built in a mountainous area above the Nizhu River Canyon. Construction is affected by the wind, requiring a high degree of precision. Transporting materials to the canyon was very difficult. Usually, we transport assembled sections. But on this project we did the opposite, transporting parts and assembling them on site,” said Wang Chao, a senior engineer at China's Ministry of Transport's highway planning institute.

The Beipanjing Bridge is expected to be launched later this year. Vehicles would be able to travel across the bridge at up to 80 kilometers per hour.

Tagschina, Beipanjiang Bridge, world's highest bridge, tallest bridge, china Beipanjiang Bridge, Si Du River Bridge, Guizhou Province, Hangzhou province, Yunnan province