LHASA, Nov. 27 -- A bridge over the Lancang River in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region was opened to traffic on Thursday, local authorities said Friday.

The 173.5-meter bridge was built with the assistance of north China's Tianjin Municipality, and is located in Qamdo City at an altitude of 3,200 meters, according to the city's transport bureau.

The construction began at the beginning of 2014 at a total cost of 80 million yuan (12.5 million U.S. dollars).

The Lancang River, known as the Mekong after it flows out of China, originates in China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and stretches 4,880 kilometers to the sea.