World's longest glass bridge ready to open
Work on the world's longest glass-floor bridge proceeds in the Hongyagu Scenic Area in Hebei province earlier this month. The bridge will open to the public on Sunday.[Photo by Hou Luopeng/For China Daily]
"The bridge's load-carrying capacity is as much as 3.5 times the country's standard for bridges. Besides, we only allow 500 people on it at most," Liu said.
It took a year and a half to build the bridge, which can resist the strongest winds.
Many glass-floor bridges and skywalks have been built around China in recent years. A bridge 430 meters long and 6 meters wide opened last year in the Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province. It was said to be the longest and highest bridge of its kind in the world.
But the one at Hongyagu is the only one in China supported by structures beneath the span, Liu said.
About 300 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, the Hongyagu Scenic Area is near Xibaipo, a popular visitor spot because of its revolutionary history. The leadership of the Communist Party of China was based there from May 1948 until early 1949.
Wang Mian, a Shijiazhuang resident, said she had planned to try the bridge on Sunday but is nervous just thinking about it.
