Home US World’s biggest bridges revealed after collapse of colossal Baltimore landmark – and how London’s historic Tower Bridge is 675 times SMALLER than China’s £7billion mega-construction

World’s biggest bridges revealed after collapse of colossal Baltimore landmark – and how London’s historic Tower Bridge is 675 times SMALLER than China’s £7billion mega-construction

by Jack
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China is home to the world's longest bridge, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, which covers an impressive 102.4 miles (164.8 km).

Bridges are iconic symbols of progress and unity, connecting cities, countries and cultures.

While some allow brief crossings over the water, others captivate with their remarkable lights, which extend over great distances.

MailOnline Travel has today plotted the longest and most famous of them all in a fascinating interactive graphic.

To put its powerful lights into context, around 675 Tower Bridges could fit inside the world’s largest bridge in China…

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1. Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, China

The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in China is the longest bridge in the world, spanning an impressive 164.8 kilometers (102.4 miles), according to the Guinness Book of Records.

This is longer than the distance between New York and Philadelphia or equivalent to half the trip from London to Paris.

The crossing, valued at $8.5bn (£6.7bn), is, on average, 100ft (30m) above the ground and required more than 10,000 construction workers to build before it opened in 2011.

It is part of the high-speed train route between Beijing and Shanghai and receives road vehicles in some areas.

China is home to the world's longest bridge, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, which covers an impressive 102.4 miles (164.8 km).

China is home to the world’s longest bridge, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, which covers an impressive 102.4 miles (164.8 km).

2. Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct, Taiwan

Taiwan is home to the world’s second-longest bridge, the Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct, which reaches 97.8 miles (157.3 km) in length.

Completed in 2007, the bridge is part of Taiwan’s high-speed railway network and extends from Zouying in Kao-hsiung to Baguashan in Changhua County.

Both the bridge and the train line “were built to minimize damage caused by earthquakes, as the area is prone to seismic activity,” it says British.

3. Kita-Yaita Viaduct, Japan

Third place on the podium of the longest bridges in the world is occupied by the Kita-Yaita viaduct in Japan.

The viaduct crossing spans 114.4 kilometers (71 mi) and is used to make way for the high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Toyko to Aomori.

It opened in 1982 with 23 stations and is managed by the East Japan Railway Company.

USA – Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

See the longest bridge in the US, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which spans 24 miles (38 km) and carries more than 40,000 vehicles each day.

See the longest bridge in the US, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which spans 24 miles (38 km) and carries more than 40,000 vehicles each day.

See the longest bridge in the US, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which spans 24 miles (38 km) and carries more than 40,000 vehicles each day.

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest bridge in the US and the longest overwater bridge in the world.

The road crossing covers 38 kilometers (24 miles) and carries more than 40,000 vehicles each day, supported by 9,500 concrete piles, it says National Geographic.

It opened outside New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1956 and links the urban area of ​​the city with smaller communities on the northern shore of the lake.

Europe – Vasco da Gama Bridge

In Europe, the Vasco da Gama Bridge wins the title of longest bridge in operation, spanning 10.7 miles (17.2 km) over the Tagus River estuary in Lisbon, Portugal.

The cable-stayed bridge, opened in 1998, has six lanes that accommodate more than 50,000 vehicles each day, according to Viator, with a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph).

It was named “in honor of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of a sea route between Europe and India by explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498,” according to British.

The record for the largest bridge was surpassed by the “controversial Crimean Bridge that was formally opened by Vladimir Putin in 2018,” says Britannica. But the crossing, which stretches 19 kilometers, was damaged by an explosion in 2022 and is temporarily closed.

United Kingdom – Bromford Viaduct

The longest bridge in the United Kingdom is technically the Bromford Viaduct, which covers a total of 5.6 kilometers (3.5 mi), almost 30 times smaller than the record-breaking Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge.

It is perhaps not the most glamorous of junctions, carrying road traffic across part of the M6 ​​between Castle Bromwich and Gravelly Hill, near Birmingham, West Midlands.

Built between 1964 and 1972, it took eight years to complete and features the original Spaghetti Junction.

Tower’s bridge

At just 0.24 kilometers (0.15 mi) long, London's Tower Bridge would fit almost 683 times the length of the world's longest bridge.

At just 0.24 kilometers (0.15 mi) long, London's Tower Bridge would fit almost 683 times the length of the world's longest bridge.

At just 0.24 kilometers (0.15 mi) long, London’s Tower Bridge would fit almost 683 times the length of the world’s longest bridge.

Tower Bridge would fit the length of the world’s longest bridge about 675 times, and would measure just 0.15 miles (0.24 km) in length.

The iconic London attraction, which spans the River Thames, offers a 250-foot (76-meter) wide opening and its twin towers rise 200 feet (61 meters) above the water, according to British.

Despite its short distance, more than 40,000 vehicles use it every day, according to local authorities. Southwark Council.

golden gate bridge

Upon completion in 1937, the Golden Gate was the longest and highest suspension bridge in the world, according to British.

The California crossing, linking San Francisco with Marin County, is 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) long and 227 meters (746 feet) high.

“Although other bridges have since surpassed it in size, it remains unmatched for the magnificence of its surroundings and is said to be the most photographed bridge in the world,” Britannica adds.

“It carries both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) across the strait and features a pedestrian walkway.”

Brooklyn bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is 1.83 km (1.13 mi) long.

The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is 1.83 km (1.13 mi) long.

The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is 1.83 km (1.13 mi) long.

Although internationally recognized and frequently featured in films and television, New York’s Brooklyn Bridge is just 1.83 km (1.13 mi) long.

It crosses the East River to connect the Brooklyn and Manhattan boroughs of New York City. More than 116,000 vehicles, 30,000 pedestrians and 3,000 cyclists use the bridge every day since 2018, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

At the time of its opening in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, according to UNESCO.

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