The world’s highest bridge has opened to traffic in China, connecting two provinces in the mountainous southwest and reducing travel times by as much as three-quarters, local authorities said on Friday.

The Beipanjiang Bridge soars 565 metres (1,854 feet) above a river and connects the two mountainous provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Guizhou provincial transport department said in a statement on its official website.

Here are some stunning images of the Beipanjiang Bridge:

b’The bridge cut travel times between Xuanwei in Yunnan to Shuicheng in Guizhou from more than four hours to around one | Source: AFP’
b’The 1,341-metre span cost over 1 billion yuan ($144 million) to build | Source: AFP’
b”It overtook the Si Du River Bridge in the central province of Hubei to become the world’s highest bridge | Source: AFP”
b’The Beipanjiang Bridge soars 565 metres (1,854 feet) above a river | Source: AFP’
b’It connects the two mountainous provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou | Source: AFP’