China piles 96 heavy trucks onto record-breaking bridge to test its limits

China’s Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge has just passed a jaw-dropping test that pushed the record-breaking bridge to its limits.

Engineers drove 96 heavy trucks, weighing a combined 3,360 tonnes, onto the span to prove its strength and stability.

It is set to become the tallest bridge in the world when it officially opens next month.

Costing $283 million to build, it now stands as one of China’s boldest and most ambitious engineering feats.

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A record-breaking bridge that will slash travel times

Construction of the record-breaking bridge began in January 2022, and in just three years it has transformed into a record-breaking marvel.

Rising 2,050 feet above the canyon floor, it will claim the title of the tallest bridge in the world once it opens.

For perspective, that’s more than twice the height of the Eiffel Tower and nine times taller than London’s Tower Bridge.

Project manager Wu Zhaoming of the Guizhou Transportation Investment Group revealed that the road to completion was anything but smooth.

Engineers had to contend with temperature control during massive concrete pours, reinforce sheer canyon walls, and design against the province’s notoriously strong winds.

They even had to cut a mountain in half in order to build it.

Despite those hurdles, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge was finished in record time and is now recognized as the largest-span bridge ever built in a mountainous region.

Once open, it will transform daily life for locals by slashing travel time between Liuzhi and Anlong from two hours to just two minutes.

They stress-tested the bridge with 96 trucks

Beyond convenience, officials expect it to become a major driver of tourism and economic growth in the region.

Between August 21 and 25, engineers staged the bridge’s final safety check: a static load test designed to mimic real-world stresses.

A total of 96 trucks, each weighing about 35 tonnes, were carefully driven across and parked on the span, collectively loading the bridge with 3,360 tonnes of weight.

More than 400 sensors embedded across its towers, cables, and deck recorded even the slightest movements.

Luckily for everyone involved, the bridge passed without any issues, clearing its last major hurdle before opening to the public.

With eight of the world’s 10 tallest bridges already located in China, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge cements the country’s dominance in extreme engineering.

In fact, China doesn’t only lay claim to the world’s tallest bridges, as it is also home to a bridge so massive that it broke 10 world records in one go.

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