Reference News, September 1st. According to the UK's Daily Telegraph website on August 30th, China is about to complete and open the world's highest bridge in just three and a half years. While the UK took the same amount of time to build a new highway interchange near Manchester.

The report said that the Huajiang Gorge Bridge started construction in 2022 and is expected to open in Guizhou, a mountainous southwestern province of China, in September; its deck-to-water height will be twice that of London's Shard.

The report pointed out that compared with the UK's slow construction speed, China's rapid construction is impressive. The UK National Highways used the same length of time as China to build a new highway interchange near Manchester. In Denton, on the outskirts of Manchester, the project to rebuild and upgrade the St. Anne's Road overpass on the M67 was launched in January 2023 and is expected to be completed "sometime in 2026."

According to the report, the bridge in China spans the Beipan River, with a deck-to-water height of 625 meters, a total length of 2890 meters, and a main span of 1420 meters. After completion, its main span will rank first in the world for bridges in mountainous areas, and the bridge height will also rank first in the world. Recently, a convoy of 96 trucks with a total weight of about 3000 tons drove onto the bridge for its final critical test before opening. This project only started construction in January 2022, which is an impressive speed even by Chinese standards.

The report stated that engineers are amazed at the outstanding capabilities of Chinese builders. Professor Mamdouh Badr from the University of Calgary said: "In other parts of the world, projects of this scale usually take five to ten years from groundbreaking to completion, depending on environmental, political, and logistical factors."

According to the report, the bridge in China is located in an almost undeveloped rural area, while the UK National Highways emphasized the complexity of its interchange project. It pointed out that existing bridges that need to be demolished carry gas, electricity, and water supply pipelines, and it is necessary to ensure that nearby residents can still receive the relevant supplies.

Media reports attribute the rapid completion of the Huajiang Bridge to advanced design technology, modular construction, and the use of drones and sensors to check the structural integrity of the bridge.

Guizhou province in China is no stranger to such projects: almost half of the top 100 bridges in the world are in Guizhou. According to media reports, this bridge not only shortens the one-hour drive across the canyon to 90 seconds, but it can also serve as a tourist attraction, featuring glass walkways, bungee jumping, paragliding, and more.

The report stated that China also holds other records in bridge construction. The Danjiang-Kunshan Bridge is the longest bridge in the world, and it was completed and opened in about four years.

On August 25, the Huajiang Gorge Bridge in Guizhou conducted a load test, with 96 heavy trucks totaling 3300 tons driving onto the bridge deck in batches to conduct a comprehensive and strict "physical examination" of the bridge. (Xinhua News Agency)

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7544968351031886363/

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