China surprises the world by building a cable-stayed bridge 'above the clouds'

This bridge not only affirms China's ingenious infrastructure building capabilities, but also brings prosperity to local people.

Ai Zhai Bridge in China.

Eleven years ago, the Ai Zhai Bridge in central China officially opened to traffic. This is a bridge spanning the Dehang Gorge, connecting the G65 Baotou Expressway through Hunan, China. Notably, this was the bridge connecting the two longest tunnels in the world at the time of its inauguration in 2012.

Among the 400 highest bridges in the world, Ai Zhai is the bridge with the 5th longest span. The total length of the main span of the bridge connecting the two mountain ranges is 1,146m. In addition, the bridge also boasts a height of 336m from the valley floor to the bridge surface.

The total cost of the project is 610 million USD. (Photo: Xinhua).

The project started in October 2007. It took the construction teams five years, overcoming many challenges due to complex geographical conditions and lack of resources to complete the project. The total cost of the project is 610 million USD (about 14.8 trillion VND) , of which the Asian Development Bank supported a loan of 208 million USD. That amount was used to build 64km of highway, two-thirds of which is the Ai Trai tunnel and bridge.

Engineers in charge of this project said that the main cables of Ai Trai Bridge have a diameter of 85cm with 169 steel wires. The entire 1,000m long cable truss weighs up to 8,000 tons.

The main cables of the Ai Zhai Bridge are 85cm in diameter with 169 steel wires. (Photo: Getty Images).

The project spans an ancient countryside near Hunan province.

Perhaps the most interesting point of this bridge, besides the record-breaking numbers, is its location . This modern structure spans an ancient countryside near Hunan province. The tunnel passes through thousands of meters of rock and leads to the bridge. The curved suspension cables stretching thousands of meters in the mist can overwhelm many passersby. There is also a glass walkway on the bridge for visitors to experience.

Since its completion, Ai Trai Bridge has attracted a large number of visitors.

Traveling from Cat Thu city to Tra Dong usually takes more than 4 hours. But with Ai Trai bridge, that distance is shortened to less than 1 hour. Therefore, this project is extremely useful for local people and tourists.

Since its completion, Ai Zhai Bridge has attracted a large number of visitors. In addition to tourists, many people come here to seek thrills. Local authorities and surrounding residents have discovered a way to combine transportation with tourism to develop the economy.

As the number of tourists increases, poor villages now have more opportunities to sell agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, tea, handicrafts as well as accommodation and food services to tourists.

Among the 400 highest bridges in the world, Ai Zhai is the bridge with the fifth longest span. (Photo: Quirky China News/Rex Features).