Chongqing, China, October 29, 2007—Thousands of spectators crowded the Caiyuanba Bridge over the Yangtze River on the first day the structure opened to traffic.

The bridge cost two billion yuan (about 268 million U.S. dollars) and took four years to build.

A mix of tunnels and flyovers with an unusual arch and cable construction, the bridge spans a record 1,377 feet (420 meters).

Chongqing's location on both the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers has helped earn it the title of China's "bridge capital," according to the Web site Bridge Web.

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