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The Beipanjiang Bridge, spanning a gorge some 1,341 metres (4,399ft) in length, is an ongoing project that has already cost the Chinese government more than 1 billion RMB (£112 million), but this week engineers finally installed the final bridge deck.

A ceremony was held for workers from both sides of the bridge - which stands some 565 metres (1,853 feet) above the river below - who have been slowly building towards each other since construction first began three years ago.

(Image: CEN)

The superstructure bridges the Nizhi River Gorge and connects the cities of Xuanwei, in south-western China's Yunnan Province, and Liupanshui, in neighbouring Guizhou Province, cutting transportation time between the two from five hours to just one hour.

More than 1,000 engineers and technicians have worked on the bridge over the years, and aerial and time-lapse footage from the gorge shows the structure slowly coming together in breathtaking fashion.

(Image: CEN)

According to reports, the Beipanjiang Bridge, which is an extension of the Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway, will open to traffic later this year, when it will officially be the world's tallest motorway bridge.

Of the world's 20 tallest bridges, nine can be found in China or in its "special administrative region" Hong Kong.

The current tallest bridge in the world is the Millau Viaduct in Millau, France - completed in 2004 and standing 343 metres (1,125 feet) above the valley of the River Tarn.