China has 7 of the top 10 longest bridges in the world including four of the top 5, all built in the last 6 years as China continues its economic overhaul. Therefore to make things a little more interesting we have gathered the top 10 Countries with the longest bridges and all the bridges in each of the countries.
There are 32 bridges on the list, the last from Vietnam. There is only one bridge from Europe in the list, 23 from Asia, 2 from the Middle East and 6 from the US.
1. China
China has the top three longest bridges in the world, the first two of which are part of the same railway line between Beijing and Shanghai. The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge runs south of the Yangtze River closer to Shanghai while the Tianjin Grand Bridge is at the other end of the 1,318 km (819 mile) railway, just south of Beijing.
The Weinan Weihe bridge was the longest bridge in the world when it opened in 2008. Like the top two it is part of an inter-city high speed rail line, this one running between Xi’an and Zhengzhou.
In addition to these three bridges, China has another four bridges in the top 10 and another ten bridges on our list.
- Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge: Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail: 164.8 kms (102.4 miles)
- Tianjin Grand Bridge: Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail: 113.7 (70.6 miles)
- Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge: Zhengzhou-Xi’an High-Speed Rail: 79.7 kms (49.5 miles)
- Beijing Grand Bridge: Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail: 48.2 (29.9 miles)
- Yangcun Bridge: 35.8 kms (22.2 miles)
- Hangzhou Bay Bridge: 35.7 kms (22.2 miles)
- Runyang Bridge: 35.7 kms (22.2 miles)
- Donghai Bridge: 32.5 kms (20.2 miles)
- Shanghai Maglev: 29.9 kms (18.6 miles)
- Line 1 Wuhan Metro Bridge: 28.7 kms (17.8 miles)
- Yanshi Bridge: 28.5 kms (17.7 miles)
- Jiaozhou Bay Bridge: 26.7 kms (16.6 miles)
- Jintang Bridge: 26.5 kms (16.5 miles)
- Jinbin Light Rail No 1: Bridge 25.8 kms (16.0 miles)
- Liangshui River Bridge: 21.6 kms (13.4 miles)
- Yongding New River Bridge: 21.1 kms (13.1 miles)
- Cangzhou-Deshou Grand Bridge: 18.2 kms (11.3 miles)
2. Thailand
The Bang Na Expressway is the forth largest bridge in the world and retains the top spot for road bridges. Although it does technically cross a river, the Bang Pakong, most of the expressway runs over land and in some circles that detracts from its standing as a bridge. We think a bridge is a bridge.
It runs in an east-west direction taking traffic out of Bangkok to the east, ending in the Phan Thong District. It is tolled so make sure you have 70+ baht with you.
- Bang Na Expressway: 55 kms (34.2 miles)
- Suvarnabhumi Airport Link: 24.5 kms (15.2 miles)
3. United States
The US has the 6th and 7th longest bridges in the world and both of them are road bridges. They are also both in the southern state of Louisiana.
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was opened in 1969 and held the record for the longest bridge in the world until 2000 when the Bang Na Expressway took over top spot. The Causeway still holds the record for the longest ‘continuous’ bridge over water.
The Manchac Swamp Bridge takes the I55 over the… Manchac Swamp, running between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas from LaPlace, west of New Orleans, north to Ponchatoula.
The US also has a number of bridges outside the top 10.
- Lake Pontchartrain Causeway: New Orleans-Mandeville, Louisiana: 38.4 kms (23.9 miles)
- Manchac Swamp Bridge: 36.7 kms (22.8 miles)
- Atchafalaya Basin Bridge: 29.3 kms (18.2 miles)
- Louisiana Highway 1 Bridge: 29.0 kms (18.0 miles)
- Chesapeake Bay Bridge: 24.1 kms (15 miles)
- Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge: 17.7 kms (11 miles)
4. Saudi Arabia & Bahrain
The King Fahd Causeway is a toll road that connects Saudi Arabia with Bahrain and was built in the 1980’s as a physical manifestation of the desire to improve the ties between the two kingdoms.
Also known as the Bahrain Bridge, the four lane road crosses the Gulf of Bahrain.
- King Fahd Causeway: 25.0 kms (15.5 miles)
5. Malaysia
The Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, also known as the Penang Second Bridge, is a toll road that connects Batu Maung on Penang Island with the Penang mainland at Bandar Cassia.
Tuanku Abdul Halim is the 14th Malaysian Head of State.
- Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge: 24.0 kms (14.9 miles)
6. Egypt
The 6th October Bridge is an elevated expressway and bridge that runs over the Nile, through the centre of Cairo and out to Cairo’s International Airport. The entire project took 27 years to complete although sections were in use during that time. It carries 500,000 people daily.
The bridge was named after the date of the start of the Yom Kippur War with Israel in 1973.
- 6th October Bridge: 20.5 kms (12.7 miles)
7. Taiwan
The lavishly named C215 Viaduct is one section of Taiwan’s high speed rail line that runs down the west coast of the country from Taipei to Kaohsiung. It is a box girder bridge completed in 2003.
- C215 Viaduct: 20.0 kms (12.4 miles)
8. South Korea
The Incheon Bridge connects Incheon International Airport with Songdo, about 65 kms (40 miles) southwest of the South Korean capital, Seoul. Songdo is essentially a new city that has been built on reclaimed land on the Incheon waterfront.
Being in a seismically active area the bridge has been built to exacting standards. It was completed late in 2009 and is the world’s seventh longest cable-stayed bridge.
- Incheon Bridge: 18.4 kms (11.4 miles)
9. Portugal
The Vasco da Gama Bridge crosses the Tagus River just north of Lisbon, Portugal, forming an important part of Lisbon’s greater road network. It is the longest bridge in Europe and was opened in 1998.
The deepest foundation piles reach down 95 m (312 ft) below sea level, part of the engineering required to safeguard the bridge against earthquakes. (The biggest earthquake to hit Lisbon was estimated to be 8.7 on the Richter scale).
- Vasco da Gama Bridge: 17.2 kms (10.7 miles)
10. Vietnam
The Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)-Trung Luong Expressway (also known by the old Saigon-Trung Luong Skyway name) runs south west from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho on the northern edge of the Mekong Delta. It forms part of Vietnam’s North-South Expressway.
- HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway: 16.0 kms (9.9 miles)
