Architecture

China drives ever upwards with world's highest bridge

China drives ever upwards with world's highest bridge
The Beipanjiang Bridge, due to open later this year in China, is now the world's highest bridge
The Beipanjiang Bridge, due to open later this year in China, is now the world's highest bridge
View 2 Images
The Beipanjiang Bridge, due to open later this year in China, is now the world's highest bridge
1/2
The Beipanjiang Bridge, due to open later this year in China, is now the world's highest bridge
Construction draws to a close on the Beipanjiang Bridge, on September 10
2/2
Construction draws to a close on the Beipanjiang Bridge, on September 10

With a height of 496 m (1,627 ft), the Sidu River Bridge in Hubei Province, China has held the title of the world's highest bridge since 2009. But it is set to be taken down a peg by the Beipanjiang Bridge Duge, which is being constructed 565 m (1,854 ft) over the Nizhu River Canyon in Guizhou province, China. Engineers recently completed the structure and the bridge is due to open to traffic by the end of the year.

A bridge's height is measured as the maximum vertical distance between the ground and the bridge deck and is not to be confused with the world's tallest bridge, which is measured as the height of the structure itself – a title that still belongs to the Millau Viaduct in France, at 343 m (1,125 ft).

Construction draws to a close on the Beipanjiang Bridge, on September 10
Construction draws to a close on the Beipanjiang Bridge, on September 10

The Beipanjiang Bridge Duge crosses the same valley as the Guanxing Highway Bridge, which held the title of highest bridge between 2003 and 2005, and the Shuibai Railway Bridge, which remains the world's highest railway bridge. While its height is its main claim to fame, the new bridge is no slouch in the length department either, spanning 1,341 m (4,400 ft) across.

With the extreme landscape of the area, roads often provide fairly indirect routes between cities. The Beipanjiang Bridge is set to help, cutting the travel time between Liupanshui, Guizhou to Xuanwei, Yunnan, from five hours down to less than two.

Source: Imaginechina

3 comments
3 comments
Mzungu_Mkubwa
Extreme base jumpers are planning their next vacation destination now: China or bust! (esp. if that chute don't open, eh?)
ljaques
My first thoughts were 1) Wow, what a beautiful area! 2) Cool bridge. 3) I'll bet base jumpers from all over the world are headed there right now. 4) I'll bet those farmers could have done without all that noise while it was being built. 5) Then I wondered if the connection would help them sell their goods across the chasm. I'd love to fly under it.
Calson
I am old enough to remember when we had a strong federal government that funded infrastructure projects and innovation and basis research and development under both Democrats and Republicans that worked for the good of the country. Now we have to look to a Communist government to see such benefits with our own government controlled by the banksters and their Republican underlings. Half the bridges in the USA are unsafe and still the GOP insists on cutting funding so they can cut takes for the One Percent.