The world's highest and longest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge has been completed in China, reported The Telegraph. The bridge, named the Aizhai Extra Large Suspension Bridge, will link together two tunnels 1176 meters apart, and 355 meters above Hunan's Dehang Canyon. The bridge is a key part of the Jishou-Chadong Expressway, a 64-kilometer road which has 18 different tunnels which cover about half of its length. It is hoped the bridge will help ease traffic jams which are common in the mountainous area which has narrow, steep and winding roads. The structure is supported by a base that is 24.5 meters wide and is designed for speeds of around 80 kilometers per hour. Pedestrians can also walk along it on a special walkway under the road. It has been dotted with 1888 lights to increase visibility at night. According to The Shanghaiist online publication, the bridge construction began in October 2007 and was completed in December 2011 with the assistance of a US$ 208 million load from the Asian Development Bank, cutting travel time from Jishou to Chadong from four hours to less than one hour. As mentioned Chen Mingxian, a renowned bridge expert and commander of the Aizhai bridge construction headquarters, the Aizhai Bridge bridges the Jishou-Chadong Highway with its steel truss girder bridge. Although it won't be not the highest bridge in the world by deck height (interestingly, this title also belongs to the Chinese, the Si Du River Bridge has a deck height of a staggering 496 meters), the Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group and its partners created 4 No.1s (according to them) in the world architectural feats -- First, the construction of its 1176 meters long main span suspension bridge that crosses its canyon; Second, the first use of a pylon and girder separation structure; Third, the first use of a rock anchor in suspension and the use of carbon fiber as its pre-stressed reinforcement material; and lastly, the first adoption of rail cable sliding techniques used to erect the steel truss girder. China is also home to the longest bridge in the world. The 164.8 thousand meters long Danyang Kunshan Grand Bridge was built in 2010 to carry the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway.

One of Australia's most recognisable landmarks, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, is celebrating its 80th birthday, reported BBC. The 1.149 thousand meters bridge, which took almost 10 years to build, was officially opened on 19 March 1932. Construction began on the span in 1923, and involved 1.4 thousand workers and 52.8 thousand tons of steel. The attraction is listed as the world's widest long-span bridge by Guinness World Records, reported The Huffingtonpost. The bridge cost US$ 9.9 million to build and 16 men reportedly lost their lives in the construction process. When the bridge - also known locally as "the coathanger" - was opened, it connected the northern and southern shores of the harbour for the first time. In its early days about 11 thousand vehicles crossed the bridge daily. Now, it sees daily traffic of about 160 thousand vehicles. Born from the mind of Dr. JJC Bradfield, who is considered the "Father of the Bridge", the contractor's consulting engineer, Ralph Freeman, carried out the elaborate design and the acute plans for the erection process. Known for their fierce competition with each other, and a very heated disagreement about whose idea the bridge originally was, the two men endured a bitter rivalry. Mr. Freeman later received knighthood for his contribution to this spectacular site.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt have renewed an agreement on constructing a causeway between Tabuk and Egypt through Aqaba Bay at an initial cost of US$ 3 billion, Arab News reported, quoting an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Transport. Both sides agreed to name the new project, which will extend 50 kilometer over the Red Sea waters, "King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Causeway". Meanwhile, officials of the transport ministries of both countries plan to conduct talks during the next few weeks to work out guidelines and technical details of the project, scheduled to begin in the middle of 2013. The project will facilitate flow of trade, tourists, and Egyptian manpower to and from the Gulf region, particularly during Haj and Umrah seasons. The causeway will also save time and effort, as it will take about 20 minutes to cross the causeway, linking North African countries with the Gulf countries, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, the source pointed out. The project will flourish trade movement between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as it will act as an international passage between the Gulf and North African countries. It will also contribute to an overall economic and business development in the northern parts of the Kingdom, especially in Tabuk, and boost the tourist resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, a major tourist destination for the Gulf citizens. As reported our website earlier, the project was under discussion since 1988 and has finally been approved on July, 2011. It would provide the first direct road link between Arab North Africa and the Middle East - but the project could upset Israel and Jordan. This area of the Red Sea is highly important to Israel and Jordan as it provides them with access to the Indian Ocean.

With inauguration on January 5, the "Baluarte Bridge" in Mexico is officially the Guinness World Record holder for the tallest cable-stayed bridge, reported Constructiondigital. The massive infrastructure project consists of 152 steel suspenders supporting over 1100 meters of 20 meter wide roadway, with a central span of over 520 meters. The 403m (1,321ft) tall "Baluarte Bridge" is part of celebrations to mark 200 years of Mexico's independence from Spain. Its four lanes are held up tall enough to house the Eiffel Tower - which bring the structure its impressive world record credentials. The US$ 1.42 billion project is 86 percent complete, and will be finished by the end of January. The bridge spans a deep ravine in northern Mexico, and the achievement comes soon after the country's bicentennial celebration of independence from Spain. "It is definitely one of the most impressive infrastructure projects. It is a key piece of Mazatlan and Durango -a project that is going to unite the people from the north of Mexico like never before," said Felipe Calderon, Mexico's President. More than 4 years in the making, the project is intended to provide a more direct route through the "Devil's Backbone" as the area is known. Critics say that the bridge will open up a new "drug superhighway", allowing marijuana and other narcotics to be more easily transported through the area's mountainous region. Officials, however, insist the project will benefit the local communities. The highest suspension bridge is the Siduhe Bridge in China, with 472m height and 900m span. To avoid misunderstanding about record holders, we need to add, that difference between the two are bridge structures. Thus, the Mexican Baluarte Bridge structure is called cable-stayed, while China's Siduhe Bridge's-suspension.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you - the waters have indeed parted! This incredible "sunken" bridge located in the Netherlands is giving visitors a unique way to access a beautiful 17th Century Dutch fort. According to Inhabitat the Moses Bridge, designed by RO & AD Architects, literally parts the waters that surround the fort, allowing pedestrians to pass through. The bridge is made from sustainable Accsys Technologies Accoya wood. A series of moats and fortresses were built over the West Brabant Water Line region of the Netherlands during the 17th century in order to provide protection from invasion by France and Spain. Fort de Roovere was surrounded with a shallow moat that was too deep to march across, and too shallow for boats. In turn the earthen fort had remained protected - until now. From afar, the Moses Bridge is invisible to the eye. The flow of the moat appears continuous, as the water level remains at the same level, reflecting the surrounding foliage. As visitors approach the fort, the bridge appears as a break in the water with its sloping walls containing it. First lying flush with the earth, the bridge then descends deeper into the ground. Lined with wood sheet piling for walls, the deck and stairs sit between. The bridge and its components have been made from sustainable hardwood. The Accoya wood is also treated with a nontoxic coating, protecting it from fungal decay and increasing its durability - an ideal material for a sunken bridge. Like a dam, the walls of the bridge hold the waters of the moat back, and like Moses, the bridge parts the waters so that pedestrians may pass. The Moses Bridge gives visitors a unique opportunity to pass through parted waters, to eventually meet a historic fortress of defense.