One has to acknowledge that bridges, out of all the man-made structures ever created, are among the most fascinating. When compared to other groups, they are the least valued. The world’s tallest, longest, and biggest bridges would leave onlookers in awe.
Don’t miss out on the awe-inspiring spectacle that is the world’s longest bridge. These feats of engineering are without parallel, spanning great distances to link previously isolated regions and facilitate traffic flow. These massive buildings not only span great distances but also serve as metaphorical bridges between different cultures and communities. This article takes readers on a breathtaking tour of the world’s 10 longest bridges, spanning oceans and countries. We explore the fascinating world of these architectural wonders, from the famous buildings of China to the amazing works of engineering in the United States and beyond, revealing their incredible dimensions and the profound effect they have on international communication.
Table of Contents
Here is a list of the top 10 longest bridges in the world, sorted by their total length.
11. Line 1, Wuhan Metro Bridge, China
Length: 38.78 KM / 23.48 Mile
Bridge type: Metro (train)
In Wuhan, Hubei, China, there is an elevated metro line called the Wuhan Metro Bridge. It has the world’s longest span of uninterrupted metro viaduct. Wuhan Metro Co., Ltd.’s comprehensive metro system. Since it is elevated, the Chinese refer to it as a “light rail line,” but it is really the country’s first metro line. The total length of the bridge is 23.48 miles (38 km).
10. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, USA
Length: 38.44 KM / 23.89 Miles
Bridge Type: Motor vehicles (HighWay)
The Causeway over Lake Pontchartrain is the longest bridge in the United States and one of the longest in the world in terms of its length over water (continuous). It’s made up of two bridges that run parallel to one another and span Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana. The two spans are held up by 9,500 concrete piers. It cost $46 million to build the first bridge, which opened in 1956. The additional traffic necessitated the construction of a second bridge at a cost of $30 million. The total length of the bridge is 38,442 meters.
09. Metro Manila Skyway System, Philippines
Length: 39.2 KM / 24.36 Mile
Bridge Type: Motor Vehicles (Highway)
The elevated motorway known simply as the Skyway is part of the Metro Manila Skyway System in the Philippines. North Luzon Motorway and South Luzon Motorway are linked by this motorway, which stretches for a total of 39.2 kilometres (24.4 miles). It provides an alternate route above the current main roads through congested metropolitan areas including Caloocan, Manila, Makati, and Taguig.
Stage 1 of the Skyway’s construction began in 1995 and was completed in 1999, while Stage 2 was erected from 2009 to 2011. Even though most of the Skyway is now accessible to the public, Stage 3 development is still ongoing. San Miguel Corporation (through its subsidiary SMC Infrastructure) owns the concessionaires for the whole toll-operated highway.
08. Beijing Grand Bridge, China
Length: 48.15 KM / 29.92 Mile
Bridge Type: High-speed rail
The Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway’s magnificent bridge in Beijing, China. While the bridge itself was finished in 2010, high-speed train service didn’t begin until June 30, 2011. One of the biggest steel box arch bridges in China’s railway system is 108 meters in length. The high-speed rail route there is the longest in the world. There is just one station that the train visits. This bridge is 48,153 meters long, or around 29.9 miles.
07. Bang Na Expressway, Thailand
Length: 54 KM / 33.52 Miles
Bridge Type: Motor vehicles (HighWay)
The Express Authority of Thailand owns the Bang Na Motorway, a 55-kilometer long six-lane elevated motorway. The motorway was built over a period of 5 years, beginning in 1995. It is constructed out of concrete to the tune of 1,800,000 cubic meters. The total price tag for the undertaking exceeded $1 billion. Amazingly, throughout the majority of its length, it avoids crossing any bodies of water. For over ten years, it was the longest bridge in existence.
06. Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge, China
Length: 79.73 KM / 49.54 Miles
Bridge Type: High-speed rail
Connecting Xi’an and Zhengzhou in China is the Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge. The high-speed railway includes this section, which cuts travel time between cities by a third. The Zhengzhou–Xi’an Railway line was not officially open to the public until February 2010, even though construction was finished in 2008. The length of the Bridge necessitates two separate crossings of the Wei River. It spans a distance of 79,732 meters or 49.5 miles.
05. Cangde Grand Bridge, China
Length: 105.88 KM / 65.79 Miles
Bridge Type: High-speed rail
When traveling between Beijing and Shanghai, the third longest bridge is the Cangde Grand Bridge. This earthquake-resistant bridge was built in 2010 and opened to traffic the following year. The Cangde Grand Bridge spans about 105.810 meters (65.7 miles) in length and is supported by 3092 piers.
04. Tianjin Grand Bridge, China
Length: 113.7 KM / 70.64 Miles
Bridge Type: High-speed rail
The Beijing–Shanghai High-speed railway includes the Tianjin Grand Bridge, a railway viaduct bridge between Langfang and Qingxian. At a total of around 113,700 meters, or 70.6 miles, it is one of the longest bridges in the world. The bridge wasn’t officially opened until June 30, 2011, however, work on it began in 2006. The raised track configuration of the bridge reduced construction time and eliminated the need for many separate buildings at the rail and road crossings. It’s made up of tubular girders that are 32 meters in length and weigh a total of 860 tonnes.
03. Kita – Yaita Viaduct, Japan
Length: 114.42 KM / 71.10 Mile
Bridge Type: High -speed rail
The Kita-Yaita Viaduct is a railway viaduct that links the Japanese towns of Kita and Yaita. Completed in 1982, the bridge stretches a total of 114.4 kilometres (71.1 miles). The bridge links the cities of Tokyo and Aomori in the prefecture of Aomori with the high-speed Tohoku Shinkansen train. Almost 675 km of track are maintained by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).
02. Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct, Taiwan
Length: 157.3 KM / 97.75 Miles
Bridge Type: High-speed rail
The Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct is the longest bridge in Taiwan, and the second-longest in the world. It connects Zuoying District and Changhua County along the Taiwan High-Speed Rail system. It is among the world’s biggest and most difficult infrastructure undertakings. It can accommodate trains going as fast as 350 km per hour. Maximum earthquake resistance was built into the bridge so that trains may stop safely during quakes and any damage can be quickly repaired. There are a total of 157,317 meters of the bridge.
01. Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge, China
Length: 164.8 KM / 102.41 Miles
Bridge Type: High-speed rail
On the high-speed rail line between Nanjing and Shanghai is where you’ll find the world’s longest bridge. The Grand Bridge between Danyang and Kunshan was inaugurated in June 2011. The construction of the building took four years and a staff of ten thousand workers. Nearly $8.5 billion was spent on the project in total.
The bridge was completed on November 15, 2010, and was opened to the public for the first time for train traffic in June 2011. At 100 feet from the earth, the bridge soars to a lofty 31 meters. It has a steel framework that weighs 450,000 tonnes and is supported by 9,500 concrete pilings, making it resistant to earthquakes of significant size. The ‘Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway’ includes the world’s longest bridge, which is a section of this railway.
At last, the top 10 longest bridges in the world leave us in awe of human creativity and the great feat of engineering that joins continents, conquers barriers, and promotes international cooperation. The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in China and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in the United States are just two examples of the incredible engineering feats that are possible when people put their minds to it.
These bridges have become icons of development and connectedness because to their remarkable lengths, magnificent architecture, and enormous impacts on transportation and commerce. These remarkable spans are tangible symbols of our unrelenting dedication to bringing the globe closer together and making it more accessible as we continue to push the limits of building and technology.
