If you’re afraid of heights, you might have a new worst enemy. Tucked away in the beautiful Avatar mountains, where the movie of the same name was filmed, stands the newest and current record holder for the world’s tallest and highest glass bridge, boasting incredible views of the surrounding landscape.
Spanning a length of 1410 feet (430 meters) and standing 984 feet (300 meters) off the ground, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is not only the highest and longest glass bridge, but also the 11th highest of any bridge throughout the world. China, by the way, is the apparent king of high bridges, they currently claim 12 of the 15 highest bridges in the world, with the other three spots held by Papa New Guinea, Mexico, and the United States (4, 5, and 14, respectively).
When the bridge opened in August, many people were understandably scared to walk on a glass bridge that high in the air, especially after a different glass walkway that stands 3,500 feet high, also in China, cracked just a year previously, after a sharp object was dropped on it. To help ease the worries of their visitors, volunteers were encouraged to smash the glass panels with a sledgehammer to prove its strength. A car filled with passengers was also driven on the bridge and you can watch both tests in the video below, shared by ODN:
So, after proving its strength in such a dramatic fashion, it was a little shocking to find out that the bridge had to be closed just 13 days after it was opened. Park officials had set a limit of 8,000 people per day on the bridge and since its opening, the volume of visitors had gotten out of control, with around 80,000 people actually trying to visit the bridge daily. While a spokesperson for the bridge told CNN that there were no problems with the bridge and that there haven’t been any accidents, there has not been an official date announced for its re-opening. It appears that some additional work may be needed for the bridge to be able to meet the demand.
You can watch video of the incredible bridge, shared by the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Official Channel, below:
Demolitions by implosion can be fun to watch when they go right – or wrong – but nearby residents can be greatly affected by the high powered blasts and huge clouds of debris that follow. A few years ago, a botched demolition in England left dozens of nearby residents unable to return to their homes for several days. Last week, an obsolete Steel Basic Oxygen Plant in Weirton, West Virginia is leaving residents in a similar situation.