In China, the highest bridge in the world has opened for transport, standing 625 meters above the river

Beijing - The highest bridge in the world opened today in China for traffic. This marked the completion of three years of engineering work, reported the AFP agency, citing Chinese media. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge rises 625 meters above the river and the vast canyon in Guizhou province, surpassing the record of the Beipanjiang Bridge located in the same province, which is now the second highest.

Live drone footage broadcast by state media showed vehicles passing over this massive structure. The blue support towers were partially shrouded in clouds. Crowds of spectators gathered on the bridge, including project engineers and local officials, to participate in the ceremonial opening.

"The opening of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge reduces the travel time between the two banks from two hours to two minutes," said Zhang Jin, head of the provincial transportation department, at a press conference on Wednesday. Its opening brings significant improvements to the transport conditions in the region and injects new momentum into the economic and social development in the area, she added.

In recent decades, China has invested significant resources in large infrastructure projects. The mountainous province of Guizhou, in particular, is crisscrossed by thousands of bridges, including now the two highest bridges in the world. The state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday that nearly half of the 100 highest bridges in the world are located in this province.

The construction of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge took more than three years. Its main span of 1420 meters also makes it the bridge with the longest span in the world built in a mountainous area, Xinhua added.

If we focus on the bridge's own structure, meaning the height of the bridge itself and not its distance from the ground, the highest bridge remains the Millau Viaduct in France, with a height of 343 meters, AFP pointed out.