China is home to some of the world’s longest bridges. The world’s longest bridge is in fact found in China and the world’s second-largest economy has several in the top 10 longest bridges in the world. Below are the top 7 longest bridges in China.
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Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge
Stretching 55 kilometers, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is the longest bridge in China and also in the world. The bridge connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao and cuts travel time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai and Macao to just 45 minutes from 3 hours. Construction of the bridge started in December 2009 and was completed in October 2018 having cost a total of $19.5 billion.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was constructed in three parts; bridge and tunnel construction in the sea, Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai ports construction, and Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai connection construction.
2.Hangzhou Bay Bridge
The Hangzhou Bay Bridge is 36 kilometers long and the second-longest bridge in China. It is also the second-longest bridge in the world. Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a large highway bridge that connects Zhengjiadai in Jiaxing in the north to the Shuiluwan in Ningbo in the south of Zhejiang Province.
The bridge cuts the travel distance between Ningbo and Shanghai from 400 km to 280 km. Travel time also drops from 4 hours to 2.5 hours. The Hangzhou Bay Bridge has six lanes and a two-direction design. The bridge has a 100-year service guarantee. It has a maximum speed of 100km/hr.
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Donghai Bridge
Shanghai’s Donghai Bridge used to be the longest bridge in China and the world before the launch of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The bridge still holds an important position in being the first sea-crossing bridge in China.
The bridge is 20 miles long and has six lanes. The Donghai Bridge was opened in 2005 and stretches across the East China Sea, connecting Shanghai to Yangshan Island. The bridge was designed with an S-shape due to safety issues.
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Sutong Chinagjiang Highway Bridge
Sutong Chinagjiang Highway Bridge has a total length of 19.9 miles and one of the longest bridges in the world. The bridge connects Nantong and Changshu, a satellite city of Suzhou, of Jiangsu Province. As of 2010, the bridge was the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. In the same 2010, the bridge was awarded the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (OCEA) by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Construction of the bridge was done in three parts; the bridge, the North Wing, and the South Wing. Sutong Chinagjiang Highway Bridge has two A-shaped concrete towers that have a connecting girder between the lower sections of the legs.
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Lupu Bridge Shanghai
The Lupu Bridge connects Luwan District and Pudong District of Shanghai. The grand through arch bridge crosses over the Huangpu River. The arch is 550 meters high and 100 above the water. It is the second-longest arch bridge in the world after the Chaotianmen Bridge in Chongqing. The 3,900-meter long bridge was opened in June 2003. Its main body is 750 meters long.
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Chaotianmen Bridge
Chaotianmen Bridge is a 552-meter long bridge was opened in April 2009. It is the longest arch bridge in the world and connects the city’s three main commercial areas. The road-rail bridge crosses the Yangtze River in Chongqing and has a total length of 1,741 meters.
The bridge has a continuous steel truss arch plus a 552 meters main span. Chaotianmen Bridge has six lanes plus a pedestrian lane on each of the upper deck.
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Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge
The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is the first bridge to be constructed over the Yangtze River in Nanjing. The bridge is 6,772 meters long and has a span of 160 meters. During regular traffic periods, it may take just 15 minutes to cross the bridge. Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is the first double-decker, double-track highway, and railway bridge. The construction of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was completed in 1968.
