World's tallest bridge progresses with steel truss milestone

The 215-ton truss lifted on Monday will be the primary support for the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge's concrete deck. [Photo by Liu Boqian/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province completed its first steel truss lift on Monday, marking a major step toward next year's scheduled opening.

Towering 625 meters above the Beipan River, the 2,890-meter-long bridge is part of a regional expressway project. Construction began in 2022. Upon completion in 2025, it will set a new record as the world's tallest bridge.

The 215-ton truss lifted on Monday will be the primary support for the concrete deck. It is one of 93 truss segments, weighing more than 21,000 tons, that will form the bridge's main structure.

Considering such a high weight, engineers deployed the world's largest cable crane system, incorporating transport, lifting and smart monitoring systems to navigate the challenging terrain of steep mountains and deep valleys.

More than 30 high-definition cameras and numerous sensors provide real-time data to ensure safe, precise positioning.

"The smart lifting system, developed in-house, uses the Beidou navigation and IoT technologies for precise positioning. The system improves both the accuracy and safety of the lift while reducing labor costs," explained Wang Songyu, the construction project manager.

Inside the bridge's smart control center, only a few operators manage the installation process, with the system reducing a task that once required 20 people to one that now requires only two operators.

Guizhou's rugged terrain has driven the need for extensive bridge infrastructure to support its traffic network. Once completed, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge will reduce travel time between its two ends from an hour to just one minute, significantly improving local mobility and boosting tourism to nearby attractions such as the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall.

The project team said the construction is now 75 percent completed, with all the main cables in place. The remaining steel truss sections are expected to be installed around the Chinese Lunar New Year, and the bridge is on track to open in the latter half of 2025.