"World's Highest Bridge" Opens in China Over 1,850-Foot Gorge

World

Aaron Brown,The Drive Thu, Dec 29 11:40 AM PST

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A bridge in China suspended over a 1,854-foot gorge became the "world's highest" when it opened to automotive traffic Thursday, reports said.
The Beipanjiang Bridge took three years to build, cost more than $146.7 million dollars, and stretches to be 4,396 feet long. Its four-lane roadway sits nearly two thousand feet over the Beipan River, which it's named after, to connect the Yunnan and Guizhou provinces in southwest China, People's Daily Online reported. It surpassed the 1,837-foot-tall Sidu River Bridge for its world record title.
We know what you're thinking: $146.7 million is cheap! And it is! After all, when the Golden Gate Bridge spanning San Francisco Bay was built in 1933 it cost $1.5 billion (in adjusted dollars), and the brand new New Bay Bridge, on the other side of town, ended up costing a whopping $6.7 billion when it was finished in 2013.
The Beipanjiang Bridge is part of the 2,115 mile Hangrui Highway which connects Hangzhou to the China-Myanmar border crossing in Ruili. Construction actually finished on the bridge September 10, but the massive sky-scraping overpass only opened to vehicular traffic today.
Though the Beipanjiang Bridge might be the highest bridge in the world, the world's tallest bridge is still the Millau viaduct in France which tops out at 1,125 feet, the BBC reported.

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Largest Construction Projects In The World: China Opens New Beipanjiang Bridge To Much Fanfare

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The world’s highest bridge has officially opened in southern China. Following a three-year construction, the Beipanjiang Bridge, located in the southern province of Guizhou, is officially open for business, the China Central News (CCTV) reported Thursday. Shortly after the bridge’s opening, traffic engulfed the large bridge as commuters and sightseers alike sought to cross the world’s highest bridge. The massive structure stands at an impressive 565 meters (or 1,854 feet) above a valley gorge, with a 1,341-meter span (around 4,400 feet) and runs with four lanes. The bridge crosses directly above the Beipanjiang valley, BBC News reported. The bridge is now the tallest bridge erected since the ...

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China debuts the world's tallest bridge; as tall as a skyscraper

UPI 7 hours ago

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BEIJING, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- China has just opened the world's tallest bridge to traffic, connecting two mountainous provinces and significantly reducing travel time for local residents. The Beipanjiang Bridge soars more than 1,853 feet above the Baipanjiang Valley. It is roughly as tall as a 200-story building. The bridge connects Guizhou and Yunnan provinces in southwest China. CCTV reports it will reduce the travel time between the two provinces from five hours to 90 minutes. Construction of the bridge began in 2013 and cost about 1 billion yuan, or $143 million. The Beipanjiang Bridge overtook another Chinese bridge, the Sidu River Bridge in Hubei province, as the world's tallest. ...