Bridges are nothing new on earth and have been used for centuries. History says that the earliest bridge was made of trees and stepping stones.
The safe crossing bridge is said to be the oldest open-spandrel arch bridge in the world. It was built by Li Chun in 595-605 during the Sui Dynasty and was 51 meters long.
Since then, technology has evolved and bridges are longer and sturdier than before. Today, we look at the longest bridges in the world, where they are located, and interesting facts about them.
1. Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge
Danyang bridge is between Nanjing and Shanghai in China. The bridge-building started in 2006 and was completed in 2010, and was opened in 2011.
Since its completion, it has been named the longest bridge globally. The bridge spans 164.8 kilometers (101.9 miles). It took roughly four years to build, and it cost about $10 billion.
2. Changhua- Kaohsiung Viaduct, China
Changhua is the second-longest bridge in the world. The bridge serves as a connector for a section of the Taiwan High-Speed Railway.
The bridge was completed in 2007 and ran from Baguashan in Changhua county to Zuoying in Kaohsiung. The bridge is about 157 kilometers ( 98 miles) long and is built to withstand earthquakes and other natural occurrences.
3. Tianjin Grand Bridge
Tianjin bridge is part of the Beijing Shanghai railway and connects Langfang to Qinxian. The bridge took years to construct and was finalized in 2010.
The bridge is made of a remarkable design of a raised track and is the most attractive bridge. It’s made of a sequence of box girders, and each piece is more than 100 feet long. The Tianjin bridge is 113.7 kilometers(70.64miles).
4. Cangde Grand Bridge
Cangde Grand bridge makes it number four on the list of the longest bridges. The bridge reduces travel time across Hongkong and Macau from three hours to 30 minutes.
The bridge is made of 3092 piers and was completed in 2010. Cangde Grand Bridge is 105.9 kilometers (66 miles) long and is part of the Beijing high-speed railway.
Additionally, it was made to endure earthquakes, floods, and even hurricanes.
5. The Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge China
Weinan bridge is another bridge from China that makes it to the list. It’s part of the Zhengzhou-Xi, a High-Speed Railway.
The bridge is unusual as it crosses river Wei twice and several other rivers. It was the longest bridge in 2008, but bridges completed the same year beat it.
It’s made of 2.3 million cubic meters of concrete and 45,000 tons of steel. The bridge is 79.7 kilometers (49.5 miles) long.
6. Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge
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The Hong Kong Zhuhai is the latest bridge making it to the list. The bridge cost over $18.8 billion and was completed in 2018. The bridge connects Hong Kong and Macao and is the longest sea bridge.
The bridge comprises a series of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel, and four artificial islands.
Besides all this, the bridge stretches about 55 kilometers (34.1miles). You will be surprised to know the bridge took almost eleven years to complete.
7. Bang Na Expressway, Thailand
Bang Na Expressway was completed in early 2000. The expressway carries a six-lane elevated highway above another way.
In addition, it’s the longest road bridge in the whole world. The highway was built with over 1,800,00 cubic meters of concrete. The expressway stretches 54 kilometers(34 miles) long.
8. Beijing Grand Bridge in China
Beijing Grand Bridge is part of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railroad. The bridge was finished in 2010 and was officially launched in 2011.
The bridge is 48.2 kilometers(29.95 miles) long and is situated in the south part of Beijing.
9. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, USA
This bridge is the longest in the USA. In addition, it’s the longest bridge that runs continuously over water. It comprises two similar bridges traversing Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana.
The first of the two bridges was finished in 1956, and when traffic increased, they added the second one. The building of the second bridge ended in 1969.
The longer of the two bridges extends about 14.9 kilometers (24 miles) long. The bridge is made of great architecture and has survived many hurricanes.
10. Line 1, Wuhan Metro Bridge, China
Wuhan Metro Bridge is the longest nonstop metro system viaduct in the world. The bridge holds a lightweight rail to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.
The line was officially opened in 1995, and in 2003 it was renovated. The line stretches 37.7 kilometers ( 23.4 miles) and has 32 stations.
Conclusion
As technology has advanced, you can see people putting up structures that will amaze you.
Apart from building nice story buildings, they have also done awesome work when it comes to bridges.
So, I hope you are happy to learn of these remarkable longest bridges that have taken architecture to a whole new level.
The dimension of stuff has been an interest of mine ever since I was a child. What I believe is most fascinating about the dimension of stuff is how extremely long, tall and wide some objects are both on earth and in the universe.