The main arches of a bridge at the junction of Southwest China's Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces are joined on July 7, 2019. The bridge connects Xuyong county in Sichuan and Zhenxiong county in Yunnan, which are both national-level, poverty-stricken counties separated by a river. It takes two and a half hours by car or one and a half hours by boat – and a climb over mountains - to travel between the two counties. After the bridge is completed, travel time will be shortened to one minute by car. (Photos: Xinhua; compiled by China Daily)

The main arches of a bridge at the junction of Southwest China's Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces are joined on July 7, 2019.

The main arches of a bridge at the junction of Southwest China's Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces are joined on July 7, 2019.

The main arches of a bridge at the junction of Southwest China's Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces are joined on July 7, 2019.

The main arches of a bridge at the junction of Southwest China's Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces are joined on July 7, 2019.

The main arches of a bridge at the junction of Southwest China's Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces are joined on July 7, 2019.

The main arches of a bridge at the junction of Southwest China's Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces are joined on July 7, 2019.

Villagers in Southwest China pose for a photo, while in the background is the bridge that will cut travel time between their county and one on the other side to one minute by car, on July 7, 2019.

Workers cut construction materials on the bridge that will connect two counties in Southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, on July 7, 2019.