(Yicai Global) Dec. 30 -- The world's highest reinforced concrete bridge, which cost CNY1.5 billion (USD214.8 million), opened to vehicles in southwest China's Guizhou province today.

The middle of three columns supporting the Pingtang Grand Bridge stands 332 meters above the Caodu river valley, Xinhua News Agency reported. That equals the height of a 110-storey building, making it the highest reinforced concrete bridge tower in the world.

Guizhou is working on a new cultural tourism project that will rely on the bridge and the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, nicknamed Tianyan, in Pingtang county, according to an earlier report in The Paper. The project will greatly help to lift the mountainous province out of poverty.

China Communications Construction and Guizhou Bridge Construction Group began work on the suspension cable-stayed bridge in 2016 to connect the counties of Pingtang and Luodian. With a designed traffic speed of 80 kilometers per hour, the 2,135-meter long bridge links local highways and reduces travel time between both sides of the river valley by 1 1/2 hours.

Its completion also means the Pingtang-Luodian Expressway is now fully connected. An opening ceremony will be held for the 93-kilometer expressway tomorrow. The expressway will trim the journey time between Pingtang and Luodian from 2 1/2 hours to about one hour and raise Guizhou province's total high-speed mileage to 7,000 kilometers.

Edited: Peter Thomas