There have been numerous proposals for a bridge connecting England to continental Europe. This Channel-spanning bridge would need to be 35 km long, surpassing Portugal’s 17 km Vasco da Gama Bridge and becoming the longest bridge in Europe.
However, due to anticipated costs and engineering difficulties, proposals for a bridge that would have connected Scotland and Northern Ireland have lately been shelved. Scotland and Northern Ireland are roughly 19 kilometers apart at their closest point, despite the fact that no formal preparations have been made.
But such a structure wouldn’t even rank among the ten longest bridges in the world.
10. Manchac Swamp Bridge, USA
The Manchac Swamp Bridge is a twin concrete trestle bridge that consists of two spans, one for Interstate 55 and the other for National Highway 51. It covers a reputedly haunted swamp, but even if the spirits are just a myth, the alligators are a very real threat.
Length: 36km
Connects: Over the Lake Maurepas, Louisana, USA
9. Wuhan Metro Bridge, China
The first elevated Metro line in Wuhan is the Wuhan Metro Bridge. It has been in use since 2004 as a Metro viaduct and was created to lessen traffic congestion on Yangtze River bridges.
Length: 37km
Connects: Huangpulu and Zongguan Station, Wuhan, China
8. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, USA
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, also referred to as “The Causeway,” is made up of parallel twin bridges and was first built back in 1956. One reason it’s known as one of the world’s scariest bridges is that from the middle, it appears as though the bridge is going on forever and you can’t see land at either end.
Length: 38km
Connects: Metairie, Louisiana and Mandeville, Louisiana, USA
7. Beijing Grand Bridge, China
The first of several bridges on this list that are a part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway is the Beijing Grand Bridge, a railway viaduct. At the time of the most recent tally in 2021, China alone has an astounding 961,100 road bridges, not counting other modes of transportation.
Length: 48km
Connects: Beijing South and Langfang, Beijing, China
6. Bang Na Expressway, Thailand
The Bang Na Expressway is a box-girder viaduct bridge, six-lane elevated roadway, and toll road in Thailand. It is also known as the Burapha Withi Expressway. Its construction cost $1 billion, and until 2008, it was the longest bridge in the world.
Length: 54km
Connects: Bang Na Interchange and Chon Buri Interchange, Bangkok, Thailand
5. Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge, China
The Wei River, China’s “natural gateway to the west,” is crossed by the Weinan Weihe Grande Bridge, which is a section of the Zhengzhou-Xi’an High-Speed Railway. The rail line opened in 2010, after it was finished in 2008.
Length: 79km
Connects: Zhengzhou and Xi’an, Weinan, China
4. Tianjin Grand Bridge, China
The Tianjin Grand Bridge, another bridge that is a part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, was finished in 2010 and opened in 2011. The 32 different parts of the viaduct, which transports high-speed trains over densely populated areas, were each built and erected independently.
Length: 113km
Connects: Langfang and Qingxia, Beijing, China
3. Cangde Grand Bridge, China
The Cangde Grande Bridge is a component of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, just like the Tianjin Grand Bridge. It was constructed to withstand seismic activity, such as earthquakes, and contains a total of 3,092 piers.
Length: 116km
Connects: On route between Beijing and Shanghai, China
2. Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct, Taiwan
The Taiwan High-Speed Railway includes the Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct. The viaduct, like the Cangde Grande Bridge, was constructed to withstand seismic activity since Taiwan is seismically active as a result of its location close to the meeting point of two tectonic plates.
Length: 157km
Connects: Baguashan, Changhua County and Zuoying, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
1. The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, China
With a staggering length of 164 kilometers (104 miles), the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in China presently holds the title of the longest bridge in the world. It is one of four on this list that is a component of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway and was constructed for about $8.5 billion, or $51 million for every mile of the bridge. The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge was designed to survive not only seismic activity but also severe weather (such typhoons) and even a direct hit from a naval ship weighing 300,000 tons.
Length: 164km
Connects: Shanghai and Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China
