China's terrifying canyon bridge could reopen after sudden closure

The 430m-long bridges is 300m over a valley in Zhangjiajie in China's Hunan Province. Photo / Getty Images

The record-breaking glass bridge was forced to closed just two weeks after opening

A terrifying skywalk in China that was forced to close after just two weeks now looks set to reopen to the public, with Chinese officials saying "there is no problem" with the structure.

The world's highest and longest glass-bottom bridge stretches for 430m over Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in Hunan province, providing breathtaking views of the 300m drop below.

The bridge opened in August and immediately attracted intense interest from the public, with demand estimated at 10 times its load capacity of 8000 people per day.

The response was overwhelming when the bridge opened in August. Photo / Getty Images

Overwhelmed by the interest, the attraction was forced to close just 13 days later on September 2, leaving many to question the safety of the bridge despite no incidents being reported.

But now, officials have said the bridge was ready to reopen and there was "no problem" with it, China's The People's Daily reported.

Luo Kewen, spokesman for the bridge's management committee, said the closure of the bridge was due to the upgrading of facilities to welcome visitors attending an international sales conference, and also an international tourism festival that was due to start in Zhangjiajie on Monday.

Workers renew glasses on the glass-bottomed bridge after it was closed due to safety concerns. Photo / Getty Images

The bridge would probably be opened on Monday as well, he told ThePeople's Daily.

Luo said the great number of visitors and vehicles to the bridge made it difficult to complete hardware upgrades, including landscaping, the expansion of a car park and other support facilities.

Luo also said the online booking system for the bridge was being upgraded and would now allow visitors to book tickets for a specific date.

A tourist poses for a photograph on the record breaking bridge. Photo / Getty Images

"After the upgrade, we may limit tickets to 1000 visitors per hour, so that visitors can arrange their time properly instead of wasting time in long lines," Luo said.

At 430m long and 6m wide, the bridge is paved with 99 panes of triple-layer transparent glass and suspended between two steep cliffs 300m above the canyon floor in Zhangjiajie.