Xinhua News Agency, Guiyang, May 4 (Reporters Xiang Dingjie and Ni Yuanshi) When the afterglow of the sunset shines on the Grand Canyon of the Huajiang River in Guizhou, a steel dragon connecting the two sides of the straits has stood proudly.

The Huajiang Canyon Bridge, which has a total length of 2,890 meters and a bridge deck of 625 meters above the water surface, is about to break the record of "the world's tallest bridge" and become the new business card of China's infrastructure. And its birth is inseparable from a group of young people.

On April 28, before getting off work, 26-year-old technician Tian Hongrui summoned his colleagues to squat on the bridge deck, painted on the steel plate with chalk, and discussed how to solve the craft problems during construction. In 2021, when it was still in the bridge survey stage, Tian Hongrui came to the project and grew step by step as the bridge grew.

Project department staff discussed construction details. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiang Dingjie

Although he is a local from Guizhou, he has not returned home for several Spring Festivals. "This bridge is about to open to traffic, which is also a new milestone. I will take my mother over to see it. I will say to my mother: 'Look, this is the big project your son has done!'" Facing the camera, Tian Hongrui expressed his wish.

It is understood that when the construction unit Guizhou Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd., was established, the average age of the management team was only 28 years old, and more than 90% of them were young people under 35 years old. Almost everyone was exposed to such a large span and altitude suspension bridge for the first time.

Since the start of construction of the bridge, the construction team has successively overcome difficulties in the construction of the main tower, large-volume concrete temperature control, canyon wind prevention, and has made many industry firsts.

The young technician controls the bridge hoisting. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiang Dingjie

"We are a youth team with ideals, dare to take responsibility and willing to endure hardships. During the holidays, we stick to our posts and strive to achieve the goal of opening the traffic as soon as possible." Wang Songyu, deputy project manager, said that the bridge is currently undergoing fire protection coating on the main cable, and maintenance channels and tourism ancillary facilities are also under intense construction.

This May Day holiday, led by project department members, nearly 100 front-line builders were hanging on the cat road 625 meters from the bottom of the valley, putting on "armor" that can withstand the flames of 1,100℃. Liu Guobin, the head of the labor team, introduced that the bridge will pass through high-risk vehicles such as oil tankers in the future, so the main cable protective layer is given the dual mission of "fire resistance + corrosion protection". The entire team does not rest during holidays and strives to leave time for subsequent construction to ensure that the bridge is opened to traffic on schedule.

Wang Songyu, born in 1993, grew up in the city, while bridge construction is mostly in remote mountain villages. On the evening of April 16, after 28 days, the bridge successfully completed the main cable wire wrapping. Previously, in order to speed up the construction period, it was once 24 hours and two shifts.

"When we eat boxed lunches on the construction site and give workers midnight snacks, everyone is like passing the baton, which is unforgettable." Wang Songyu said that the Huajiang Canyon Bridge is very profound. In the past, it was a must-pass place for the Tea-Horse Road. Later, the iron cable bridge, Huajiang Bridge, and the Beipanjiang Bridge, a control project of Guanxinggao highway, were successively built. Now, they are creating a new history.

Because they are on construction sites all year round, the bridge builders are more mature than their peers in terms of appearance. Ouyang Song, a post-95s generation, is the head of the Engineering Section of the Huajiang Canyon Bridge Project. He graduated from Tongji University in 2017.

From being responsible for design and initial survey to taking root in the construction site to drawing drawings and providing technical guidance, Ouyang Song admitted that the burden on his shoulders is heavier, but it can also "make professional knowledge useful."

"We built not only a bridge, but also a link to promote regional economic development." Ouyang Song, who participated in the construction of a world-class bridge for the first time, said that in the next step, we will ensure the construction quality in accordance with the project requirements and help break the traffic bottleneck.

The Huajiang Canyon Bridge spans the natural chasm. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiang Dingjie

Continuous mountains, canyons, and rivers. When the bridge is opened to traffic, these youthful figures that were once accompanied by steel and concrete will leave a mark on the clouds forever - because the highest is not only the bridge, but also their dream of climbing.