China has built world’s highest bridge, 200m taller than Eiffel Tower, it cost Rs 2200 crore; what purpose would it serve?

China is all set to inaugurate the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge — the world’s highest — in June, according to a report by The Metro. The bridge, spanning over three kilometers across a large canyon, is 200 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower and weighs three times more than the famed French structure. The project has been developed at a cost of 216 million pounds or roughly Rs 2,200 crore.

Project ‘showcases Chinese engineering’

“This super project spanning the ‘Earth’s crack’ will showcase China’s engineering capabilities and boost Guizhou’s goal of becoming a world-class tourist destination,” Zhang Shenglin, a Chinese politician, said in a statement.

“Its steel trusses weigh about 22,000 metric tonnes, the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers, and were installed in just two months,” Shenglin added.

The bridge is expected to cut the current travel time of one hour to merely one minute.

‘Profound sense of pride’

Chief Engineer of the project, Li Zhao, said, “Witnessing my work become something tangible, watching the bridge grow day by day and finally stand tall above the canyon, gives me a profound sense of achievement and pride.”

The bridge is also being touted by Chinese officials as a major tourist attraction.

As per The Metro report, plans for living areas, a glass walkway, and the world’s “highest bungee jump” have also been unveiled by project authorities.

Majority of world’s tallest bridges in China

​The region of China where the said bridge is coming up has almost half of the world’s 100 tallest bridges to help connect rural communities.

In 2016, China’s highest bridge was opened in Beipanjiang, standing at an astounding height of 1,854 feet.