Humans have been using bridges to facilitate mobility since ancient times. These structures cross waterways and valleys to shorten distances and to reduce travel time. People build bridges of varying designs, materials, and lengths. Trying to determine the longest bridge in the world is no easy task. In the past several years there have been numerous “measurement wars” fought over the length of Earth’s longest bridges. . This article takes a look at some of the longest bridges in the world. In a list of 10 bridges, the majority are in China.
1.Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge(102.4 miles)
The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is the world’s longest bridge. It is a 164.8 kilometers long viaduct on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway where the geography is characterized by lowland rice paddies, canals, rivers and lakes.
2. Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct (97.8 miles)
Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct is the world's second longest bridge. The bridge acts as a viaduct for part of the railway line of the Taiwan High Speed Rail network. Over 200 million passengers had been carried over it by December 2012. The bridge is 157,317m (516,132 ft) or 97.8 miles in length.
3. Tianjin Grand Bridge (70.6 miles)
Tianjin Grand Bridge is a railway viaduct bridge that runs between Langfang and Qingxian, part of the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway. It is one of the longest bridges in the world with a total length of about 113,700 m (373,000 ft), or 113.7 kilometers.
4. Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge (49.5 miles)
The Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge is a part of the Zhengzhou–Xi'an High-Speed Railway which connects Zhengzhou and Xi'an, in China. The bridge is 79,732 metres (49.5 miles) long crossing the Wei River twice, as well as many other rivers, highways and railways.Upon its completion, it was the longest bridge in the world, but surpassed by two new bridges on Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway that completed in 2010.
5. Bang Na Expressway (34.17 miles)
The Bang Na Expressway is a 55 km long six-lane elevated highway in Thailand. It is often considered to be one of the longest bridges in the world (until 2010 the longest) but it is excluded from some lists since it does not cross a body of water for most of its length. The largest body of water that it crosses is the Bang Pakong River.
6. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (23.83 miles)
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, or the Causeway, is considered to be the longest bridge in the United States and the longest bridge in the world over water (continuous). It consists of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana, United States. The longer of the two bridges is 23.83 miles (38.35 km) long.
7. Beijing Grand Bridge (29.921 miles)
Beijing Grand Bridge is a 48.153 kilometers (29.921 mi) long railway viaduct on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, located in Beijing. It was completed in 2010 and opened in 2011. With 48.153 kilometers length (29.921 miles), it is one of the longest bridges in the world.
8. Manchac Swamp Bridge (22.80 miles)
The Manchac Swamp Bridge is a twin concrete trestle bridge in the US state of Louisiana. It is located around Lake Pontchartrain. With a total length of 22.80 miles it is one of the longest bridges in the world over water.
9. Donghai Bridge (20.2 miles)
Donghai Bridge is a Chinese bridge counted among the longest cross-sea bridges in the world. It was completed on December 10, 2005. It has a total length of 32.5 kilometres (20.2 miles) and connects mainland Shanghai's Pudong New Area with the offshore Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Zhejiang's Shengsi County. Most of the bridge is a low-level viaduct. There are also cable-stayed sections to allow for the passage of large ships, the largest with a span of 420 meters.
10. Runyang Highway (22.16 miles)
is a large bridge complex that crosses the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China, downstream of Nanjing. The complex consists of two major bridges that link Zhenjiang on the south bank of the river and Yangzhou on the north. The bridge is part of the Yangzhou–Liyang Expressway. The total length of the bridge complex is about 35.66 kilometres (22.16 miles).
