China's glass bridge can withstand a sledgehammer blow
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Is the world's scariest looking bridge actually safe? (Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Tourism Management Co.)
People who stand on glass bridges shouldn't swing sledgehammers, right? Not so, says the Chinese government, at least when it comes to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon bridge—the highest, longest glass bridge in the world, according to Mashable.
In fact, the operators of the bridge allowed Dan Simmons of BBC Click to take a sledgehammer to the glass-bottom bridge that, per the China National Tourism Office, spans more than 1,400 feet (it points out the Grand Canyon Skywalk measures only 69) and is suspended some 1,000 feet above the ground.
Simmons' first whack resulted in cracking to the top of a glass panel. But after a dozen blows, the lower two layers were unscathed. The stunt was an attempt to prove the safety of glass bridges after a glass-bottom skywalk in China was closed last year due to cracking that had tourists scrambling to get off of the more than 3,280-foot-high structure.
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The cracks to a glass panel were caused by a dropped thermos, per the South China Morning Post. The new bridge, which is 20 feet wide and capable of holding up to 800 people at once, is set to open to the public in July, per ABC, which adds that "those wishing for an even more terrifying adventure" may someday be able to bungee jump from the structure.
(This fright-inducing glass tourist attraction is located in LA.)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This article originally appeared on Newser: Reporter Told to Hit Glass Bridge With Sledgehammer.