World’s longest bridge stretches 102.4 miles and links two major cities

The world’s longest bridge is an incredible 102.4 miles long and took just four years to build. 

The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge was officially opened back in June 2011 and that very same month it earned itself a spot in the Guinness World Record for – yep, you’ve guessed it – ‘World’s Longest Bridge’. 

More than a decade on from its Guinness World Record title – the bridge is yet to be beaten.

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Where does the bridge go?

Situated in Jiangsu province in eastern China, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge links Shanghai to Nanjing.

It has two main sections: the Danyang section, which is 32.5 miles long, and the Kunshan section, which is 69.9 miles long. 

The viaduct stands around 328 feet off the ground and roughly follows the Yangtze River – traversing various terrains such as towns, cities, rice paddies, as well as canals and other wetlands, including a five-mile-long section of Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou. 

The section that crosses the lake is held up by 2,000 pillars, according to Engineering Clicks.

The project was part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which was initially developed to alleviate local rail congestion in the busy province, which is home to more than 80 million residents. 

The Danyang–Kunshan Grand also allows for much faster travel between the two cities – prior to its opening, it would have taken four-and-a-half hours to go from Ningbo to Jiaxing via public transport but that has since been cut down to just two hours. 

Although it is part of the high-speed rail network, the bridge also incorporates two lanes for cars. 

How much did it cost to build?

Designed and built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company – a government-funded company – construction ran from 2006 to 2010 and involved around 10,000 workers.

It is designed to withstand powerful natural phenomena such as earthquakes and typhoons as well as a direct hit from naval vessels. 

In total, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand cost around $8.5 billion – or $51 million per mile, if you’d prefer.

While the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge has earned itself a spot in the history books, a project in Hong Kong has been dubbed the ‘ghost bridge’ because, despite the fact it’s a massive 34 miles long and cost $19 billion to build, hardly anyone uses it.