A huge bridge will open to traffic by the end of this month in southwest China's Guizhou Province, authorities said on Wednesday.
The Qingshuihe suspension bridge, built in rocky karst terrain, will greatly improve transportation links between the provincial capital of Guiyang and neighboring cities and counties, said Gao Heng, director of construction.
The 2,171-meter-long bridge will shorten the distance from Weng'an county to Guiyang from 160 km to 38 km, he said.
Workers are currently applying waterproof materials and asphalt to the bridge, the longest and highest steel suspension bridge in Asia, according to Gao.
The bridge, which costs 1.54 billion yuan (240 million U.S. dollars) and has taken two years to construct, is part of efforts to build infrastructure in the mountainous province.
Another major bridge, at 2,470 meters, is under construction in Baoshan Prefecture in western Yunnan Province. It will set another record for Asia when it is completed next year.
