Longest bridges in the world

Looking at the world’s longest bridges reveals that the size and length of bridges in the world continue to grow as man’s ability and skill increase. The Asian continent leads the way as the dominant player in the field of longest bridges.

Also Read: Longest bridges in the USA

Now let’s discover which are the 5 longest bridges in the world.

1. Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge in China (length 164.8 kilometres)
2. Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct Bridge in Taiwan (length 157.32 kilometres)
3. Kita–Yaita Viaduct Bridge in Japan (length 114.42 kilometres)
4. Tianjin Grand Bridge in China (length 113.7 kilometres)
5. Cangde Grand Bridge in China (length 105.88 kilometres)

Top 5 longest bridges in the world 

1. Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge

The longest bridge in the world is the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge. It is 164.8km long, between Shanghai and Nanjing across the Yangtze River delta all the way from Danyang to Kunshan.

The bridge is part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which is a major transportation route connecting the two prominent Chinese cities.

Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge was opened officially in 2011, after a construction process which took 4 years, costing about 8.5 Billion dollars. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company designed and built the facility.

2. Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct

The Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct is the second longest bridge in the world.

Starting from Baguashan in Changhua County to Zuoying in Kaohsiung, the 157.32-kilometre bridge acts as a viaduct for the Taiwan High-Speed Rail network. The viaduct has a total of four rail stations, i.e. Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan stations. 

The construction of the Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct was completed back in 2004.

Noteworthy, the viaduct is earthquake resistant. It thus allows trains to stop safely during a seismic event. 

3. Kita-Yaita Viaduct 

The third longest bridge in the world is the Kita-Yaita Viaduct with a remarkable length of 114.42 kilometres.

The viaduct is part of the Tohoku Shinkansen line in Japan, connecting the bustling city of Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture. It is operated and managed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The latter is a renowned transportation company responsible for the operation of numerous rail lines throughout the country.

The Kita-Yaita Viaduct was inaugurated back in June 1982.

4. Tianjin Grand Bridge

Tianjin Grand Bridge is 113.7 kilometers long running between Langfang and Qingxian part of the Beijing-Shanghai railway. Owing to its length, the bridge is the fourth longest in the world. 

Construction of the bridge took place between 2006 and 2010. The elevated bridge consists of 32-meter-long box girders weighing 860 tons each. The girders were made in two workplaces along the bridge, brought to the installation site on the bridge section already installed, and then placed on the piers by a special crane.

Tianjin Grand Bridge opened in 2011. 

5. Cangde Grand Bridge

At number is 105.81 kilometres Cangde Grand Bridge.

The bridge, just like the Tianjin Grand Bridge, is a part of the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway connecting the Bohai Economic Rim and the Yangtze River Delta. 

It has a total of 3092 piers and similarly to the Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct, Cangde Grand Bridge is designed to be earthquake resistant thus it allows cars to safely pass through during seismic events.

The construction of the bridge was completed in 2010.