The longest bridges in the world. The highest bridges in the world: description, photo The longest cantilever bridge in the world

This list includes the ten longest bridges in the world built across bodies of water. I hope you find it informative. Enjoy reading.

WEST Gate – 2582.6 meters

WEST Gate Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Australia. It crosses the Yarra River and serves as an important link between central part city, industrial suburb, and the city of Geelong. This is one of the busiest road corridors in Australia. The height of the bridge above the water is 58 meters and its length is about 2.5 kilometers.

Third Mainland – 11.8 km

Third Mainland is the longest of the three bridges connecting seaport Lagos in Nigeria with the mainland. This is the longest bridge in Africa. It was built and opened to traffic in 1990. Its length is about 11.8 km.

Rio Niteroi – 13.29 km

Rio Niteroi is also known as the President Costa e Silva Bridge. Located on Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It connects the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi. The length of the bridge is 13,290 meters.

Penang Bridge – 13.5 km

The Penang Bridge connects the town of Gelugor on Penang Island with the mainland of Penang State - Seberang Perai on the Malacca Peninsula. Construction began in 1982, and the opening of the bridge took place on September 14, 1985. Its length is 13.5 km.

Vasco da Gama – 17.2 km

Vasco da Gama is a cable-stayed bridge that was built in 1998 over the Tagus River northeast of Lisbon (Portugal). It is considered the longest bridge in Europe, its length is 17.2 km.

Incheon – 21.38 km

Incheon - a bridge located in South Korea. It was built in October 2009. It extends over a distance of about 21.3 km. Serves as a link between Songdo and international airport Incheon.

King Fahd Bridge – 25 km

This bridge is named after the king Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud. It has four lanes, 25 kilometers long. It was completed in 1986. It took 15 years and approximately $1.2 billion to build. From the point of view of trade and commerce, the structure is of great importance - it connects Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Manchac Swamp – 36.69 km

Manchac Swamp is a bridge located in Louisiana, USA. Its length is about 36.6 km. Construction of MANCHAC SWAMP was completed in 1970. Considered the busiest bridge in the United States.

Causeway Bridge over Lake Pontchartrain – 38.42 km

This bridge is located over Lake Pontchartrain. Connects the towns of Metairie and Mandeville. The length of the bridge is about 38.4 km.

He is considered one of oldest bridges in the world, because the idea of ​​​​building it arose in the 19th century, but construction began in 1948 and was completed in 1956. Interestingly, the bridge is supported by more than 9,000 concrete piles.

Qingdao Bridge – 42.5 km

Qingdao Bridge is located over the northern part of Jiaozhou Bay. Connects the city of Qingdao with the suburban industrial area of ​​Huangdao. Its length is approximately 42.5 kilometers. The bridge took 4 years to build and was completed in 2011.

The Qingdao Bridge will also soon cease to be the longest bridge built across water spaces, since in December 2009 work began on the almost 50-kilometer Macau-Zhuhai-Hong Kong bridge across the estuary Pearl River in southern China.

Hangzhou, China

This one is recognized as the longest road bridge in the world, because its length is thirty-six kilometers. This transoceanic structure reduced the distance between Ningbo and Shanghai by three hundred and twenty kilometers. Such a large-scale construction made a huge contribution to transport infrastructure China.

2nd place

Millau, France

The title of the highest bridge is occupied by Millau, or as it is sometimes called Millot. Having grown to 343 meters, the handsome man has the right to boast of his highest supports. The miracle, 2.4 km long, came out of the skillful hands of the English architect Norman Foster and the French engineer Michel Virlojo. The traffic is two-way, each direction has 2 lanes.

3rd place

Golden Gate, USA

This is simply a three-kilometer legend (length 2,737 m), because for many years it held the palm among suspension bridges. It is also considered the most recognizable bridge, often appearing in various pictures, screensavers, frames of films and TV series. Maybe that’s why suicides are drawn to him like a magnet. Rarely does a month go by without some crazy person trying to commit suicide here.

Tower Bridge, UK

The famous design is a recognized symbol of Great Britain. An exceptional feature of the bridge is that a multi-ton colossus can be lifted in just 1 minute. The ingenious creators prudently created special pedestrian galleries that make it possible not to stop the flow of people while ships pass. The bridge has existed since one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four.

5th place

Vasco da Gama, Portugal

In 1998, it was exactly five hundred years since Vasco da Gama discovered the Europe-India sea route. It was in honor of this Portuguese navigator that this beautiful seventeen-kilometer bridge was named, including the main road, viaducts, and access roads. The design can withstand powerful gusts of wind and strong earthquakes.

6th place

Bosphorus Bridge, Türkiye

This is who has the honor of connecting two continents: Asia and Europe. In addition, it unites the Asian and European parts of the Turkish state. More than half a million passengers cross this bridge every day. The authorities had to block pedestrian traffic due to constant suicide attempts.

Pearl Bridge, Japan

A real miracle is the construction of a bridge in one of the most seismically unstable areas in the world. Many people know him under the name Akashi Kaike. The builders used so many steel cables when constructing the structure that if they were folded into one, they could girdle the Earth several times. For nine years, engineers and architects struggled with difficult natural conditions, but in the end they defeated them, creating this amazing structure.

8th place

Banpo Bridge, Korea

Translated from Korean, Banpo (Panpo) means “rainbow”. Along one side of the bridge there is a fountain, the jets of which shoot to the side and down. It shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, revealing an incredibly beautiful sight. The duration of this miracle is approximately one thousand one hundred meters.

Brooklyn Bridge, USA

This masterpiece of engineering is one of New York's most popular attractions. For the first time, steel rods were used for construction. The bridge is located between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Traffic here is allowed for pedestrians, bicycles and cars. National Historic Landmarks designated the Brooklyn Bridge in the 1970s.

10th place

Forth Bridge, Scotland

The construction of this steel railway giant continued for eight years. This impressive structure connects the Fife region and Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth.

A selection of photos of beautiful and unusual bridges from around the world.

1. Zavikon Island Bridge is the smallest international bridge in the world. In fact, the bridge is located in Canada, but among local guides, to attract tourists, a story was invented that this bridge connects Canada and the USA, a kind of border between the two countries. The 10-meter-long bridge is the property of Canada, because... it is officially recognized as the smallest bridge in the world!

2. Howrah Bridge- the busiest bridge in the world. His throughput surprises! During the day, about 2 million pedestrians, about 100 thousand heads of livestock, and more than 100 thousand vehicles pass across the bridge! Construction of the bridge began in 1937 and took 6 years to complete. The bridge weighs 27 thousand tons, is 90 meters high, 25 meters wide, and 705 meters long, 500 of which stand without a single support, have been standing for 70 years and do not have a single nut or bolt! Looking at the Howrah Bridge, you can see this endless flow of people and vehicles! That's very beautiful!

3. Blue Bridge located in St. Petersburg is the widest bridge in the world. Its width is 97.3 meters, which is significantly greater than its length! The Blue Bridge was built in the 19th century. The author of this structure was V. Geste. The bridge crosses the Moika River. The name Blue Bridge comes from the fact that before the construction of this bridge there was a beautiful wooden bridge painted blue. By the way, the wooden bridge was the same width as the new Blue Bridge.

4. Sydney Harbor Bridge– this bridge is located in Sydney and is the largest arch bridge in the world. Sydney Harbor Bridge was built in 1932. Due to its shape, the bridge received the name “Hanger”. The “hanger” of the bridge, i.e. the arch weighs 39 thousand tons! The arch rises 139 meters above sea level and has a clearance of 49 meters above the water, thanks to which any sea vessels can easily pass under the bridge. On hot days, the arch increases by 18 cm due to the fact that the metal expands from heating. The weight of the bridge is 52,800 tons, the length of the bridge is 1149 m, the width is 49 m.

5. Royal Gorge Bridge from 1929 to 2003 it ranked first among the largest bridges in the world. The bridge connects the two banks of the Colorado River. Under the bridge there is a gorge 321 meters long. Previously, cars could drive across this bridge, but recently only pedestrians are allowed to cross the bridge. The bridge is the most visited place by adrenaline junkies. It turns out that there are many people who want to jump from a 384-meter-high bridge into a deep gorge! Despite the impressive size of the bridge in height, it is only 5.5 meters wide. But there is a sad fact about this bridge, it is also the most visited place by suicides.

6. Millau Viaduct– the bridge is located in France. The opening of the bridge took place in 2004. Its height is higher Eiffel Tower and is equal to 341 meters, and its length is 2460 m. For a time, this bridge was considered the highest bridge in the world, but the Chinese built a higher bridge! ABOUT Chinese bridge I'll tell you further.

7. Bridge over Sydukhe- a bridge passing through the valley of the Siduhe River in China. The bridge was opened in 2009. Its height is 496 meters! This height makes this bridge the highest bridge in the world! Open from the bridge beautiful landscapes. The bridge carries the G50 highway.

8. Magdeburg Bridge aqueduct (water bridge)– this bridge is located in Germany in the city of Magdeburg. The length of the bridge is 918 meters - this gives the bridge every right to be called the longest navigable bridge in the world. Construction of the Magdeburg Bridge began in 1930, but due to the war in 1942, construction of the bridge had to be postponed. After the split of the country after the Second World War, the project was postponed indefinitely. Construction of the bridge was resumed only in 1990.
The bridge began operating in 1997. The German government spent 500 million euros on the construction of the aqueduct.

The bridge, 918 meters long, 34 meters wide and more than 4 meters deep, was built from 24,000 tons of steel and 68,000 cubic meters of concrete. The water bridge is open to visitors. On the bridge there is a parking lot and a museum that tells the history of the Magdeburg Bridge. This is the most unusual bridge in our rating.

9. Rainbow Bridge- the largest natural bridge in the world. Its height is 88.4 meters, length 83.8 meters. The bridge was formed after the rock was washed away by the river flow. The bridge is located in the US state of Utah, at the base of the Navajo Mountains.

10. Bridge U - Bayne- the longest wooden bridge in the world. The length of the bridge is 1.2 km. It began to be built in 1860 by order of the king of the kingdom of Burma (present-day Myanmar), during an economic and political crisis. The bridge was built on the advice of the priests to move the capital of the kingdom to a new location. Interesting fact that the U-Bayn Bridge was built from the remains of the palace of Emperor Amarapura.

11. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge– the longest cycling track in the world – pedestrian bridge. The length of the bridge is 1631 meters. This bridge is located on the Mississippi River. Until 1967, traffic moved across the bridge; Highway 66 passed through the bridge, but later the route was changed. After 31 years, the bridge was officially named a bicycle and pedestrian bridge.

12. Erasmus Bridge. The largest drawbridge in Western Europe. The length of the bridge is 808 meters. The bridge is located in Rotterdam and crosses the Maas River. In its homeland, the bridge was called “Swan Bridge” because of its unusual design and outline. The Erasmus Bridge was officially opened by Queen Beatrix in 1996. About 75 million Euros were spent on the construction of the bridge.

13. Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge- the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is located in Japan. The central span is 1991 meters long, with a total length of 3911 meters. The bridge was built in 1998. US$5 billion was spent on the construction of the bridge. The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge has another record. It turns out that if you pull out all the steel threads of the bridge's supporting cables, you can tie them around the entire globe seven times!!!

14. Bridge over Jiaozhou Bay- the longest overwater bridge. The bridge was recently built in China. Its length is 42.5 km. The cost of the bridge cost the Chinese 8.7 billion dollars.

15. A unique bridge with a length of 2 km 145 m is located in Novosibirsk. This is a metro bridge. He took an honorable place in the Guinness Book of Records. There is no such bridge anywhere else on earth! The project, i.e. Leningad specialists began its development in the late 1970s. The construction of this bridge began at the beginning of the 80th year and construction continued for 5 years.

In many sources you can find the statement that the widest bridge in the world is located in the largest Australian city of Sydney. This is the Sydney Harbor Bridge, connecting the shores of the deep Port Jackson Bay. Although many city residents condescendingly call this bridge a “hanger,” due to some external resemblance to the mentioned household item, they are very proud of it. The Sydney Bridge began operating in March 1932, after almost 8 years of construction.

The bridge was necessary for reliable communication of southern, more populated areas cities with northern regions, and further development northern Sydney.

Currently, the Sydney Harbor Bridge has 8 vehicle lanes (4 in each direction), 2 railway tracks and pedestrian paths. This is one of the largest arch bridges worldwide. In order to cross it by personal vehicle, you need to pay about 3 Australian dollars. Considering the intense traffic flow between the southern and northern districts of Sydney, it is not difficult to understand that a very substantial amount accrues over the course of a year. It goes towards paying for maintenance work and the bridge.

The total length of this gigantic structure is about 1150 meters. The length of the central span is 503 meters and the width is just over 49 meters.

Blue Bridge - short but very wide

However, in fact, the widest bridge is located in Russia, or more precisely in St. Petersburg. This is the Blue Bridge, passing over the narrow Moika River, the deep, large Neva. The bridge enters the architectural St. Isaac's Square, connecting it with Voznesensky Prospekt and Antonenko Lane. The length of this bridge is only about 30 meters, but the width is as much as 97 meters!

Due to its width, this structure is simply not visually perceived as a bridge. Many people consider it part of St. Isaac's Square.

Nowhere else in the world is there a bridge with such an uncharacteristic length-to-width ratio. Therefore, the Blue Bridge is sometimes called the “bridge-square”, as well as the “invisible bridge”. Back in the 18th century, there was a wooden crossing at this place, painted with bright blue paint. In the 19th century, the bridge was replaced with a stone one, and in the 20th century it was restored, replacing cast iron elements with metal ones. For the passage of ships with masts, the bridge was made lifting.

On January 3, 1870, construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge, which, for its time, became unique in several respects. At the time of completion, it was a suspended structure connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York, was considered the largest (1825 meters long), in which, in addition to everything, steel rods were used for the first time.

For 144 years, the engineering genius has stepped far forward. Today, bridges to which the word “most” is applicable amaze the imagination, serve as “lures” for tourists and simply make life easier for motorists. RG has made a selection of facts about ten outstanding bridges in the world.

The longest

Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct (China)

The bridge, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, is part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed ​​​​Bridge. railway and has a length of 164.8 kilometers. It was built in just over two years. Ten thousand people worked on the construction of the unique facility; construction was carried out on both sides (the bridge connects the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing). 500 thousand tons of steel and 2.5 million cubic meters of concrete were used.

The majority of the structure is above ground - only nine kilometers of it are laid above water (the largest body of water is Lake Yangcheng). The bridge opened on June 30, 2011. It cost the treasury $100 billion.

Longest over water

Qingdao Bridge (China)

The structure laid across the bay is 42.5 kilometers long. It crosses the northern part of Jiaozhou Bay and connects the city of Qingdao with the suburban industrial area of ​​Huangdao. The construction of the bridge took four years. It has six lanes (about 30 thousand cars cross the bridge every day) and stands on more than 5,200 supports. The bridge was also built from both ends: two teams met in the middle in early 2011. The authors of the project claim that the structure can withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude eight, a collision with a ship with a displacement of up to 300 thousand tons, or a typhoon.

Interestingly, the bridge reduced the travel time from Qingdao to Huangdao by only half an hour, and some in the Chinese public believe that the savings are not worth the enormous cost (around £5.5 billion). By the way, in the near future this structure will have to give up the palm: in December 2009, construction began on the 49.6-kilometer Macau-Zhuhai-Hong Kong bridge, which will pass through the Pearl River estuary (southern China).

The highest

Bridge over the Siduhe River (Hubei Province in China), Millau Viaduct (France)

The Chinese Bridge was opened to traffic on November 15, 2009. The 1222-meter structure is located above an abyss with a maximum depth of 496 meters. This is more than the height of the Statue of Liberty. Construction of the crossing cost $100 million. Since it was difficult to use cranes and airplanes (the structure is surrounded by mountains), the engineers decided to use rockets: they tied about a kilometer of connecting cable to them and launched them from one edge of the gorge to the other.

The bridge is divided into four working vehicle lanes and two reserve lanes. It is part of the G50 highway, which connects Shanghai and Chongqing.

But since the pylon supports of this structure are located on the edges of the gorge, and not in the abyss itself, it shares first place with the Millau Viaduct (France). This is the tallest transport structure from a structural point of view - its supports are located at the bottom of the Tarn River valley. One of them has a height of 341 meters - this is higher than the Eiffel Tower (at the time of construction - 2004 - the viaduct was recognized as the highest bridge in the world and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records). The length of the structure is 2460 meters; Cars driving along it from Paris to Montpellier often drive above the clouds. The construction of the viaduct cost 400 million euros.

The most deceptive

Storsesandet Bridge (Norway)

Local residents gave this structure the name “Drunken Bridge” because its shape changes depending on the angle. At a certain angle, an interesting optical illusion appears here - it seems that the crossing ends in nowhere - as if there is a springboard ahead into sea water.

Cantilevered road bridge 260 meters long was built in 1989. It is part of the Atlantic Five Mile Road, which links Averoy Island to the mainland. Previously, cars were transported by ferry. In the late 90s, a branch was added to the bridge - for those who want to photograph it from the “right” angle or just go fishing nearby. Thanks to this, the Atlantic Road has become one of Norway's main attractions.

The widest

Blue Bridge (St. Petersburg)

The widest bridge in the world crosses the Moika River. It was built in the 19th century according to the design of the architect Geste. The width of the bridge is 97.3 meters. Its name appeared after the then wooden crossing was painted bright blue.

The bridge connects St. Isaac's Square with Antonenko Lane and Voznesensky Prospekt. Its width is almost three times its length, so it is perceived rather as part of the area. In the literature it is even called a “bridge-square”. They say about the Blue Bridge that two emperors turned their backs on it: the Bronze Horseman and the monument to Nicholas I.

The "wet"

Rainbow Fountain Bridge (Seoul)

The miracle structure is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as a bridge on which the world's longest fountain is located (1140 meters). A two-tier crossing connects the banks of the Hanshui River.

The bridge became the "Fountain of the Rainbow" in 2009. The structure is equipped with 38 pumps: every minute they pass through 190 tons of water. It returns to the river already purified through special filters. The fountain's jets are directed to the sides and downwards, they are illuminated by LEDs. Water flies out to a distance of 20 meters. Light shows are held both during the day and in the evening, accompanied by music.

The most "weightless"

"Sky Bridge" (Langkawi Island, Malaysia)

The suspended pedestrian crossing, 125 meters long, was built in 2005. The bridge, located at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level, is supported by just one column. Additionally, it is held in place by eight cables attached to the rocks. Since the crossing is curved, it feels like it is floating over a deep abyss - the bridge offers a magnificent view of the Andaman Sea.

Despite the apparent instability, the structure is very strong and reliable. It is vulnerable only during a thunderstorm - the bridge is often struck by lightning. In bad weather it is closed; if a thunderstorm begins suddenly, tourists are evacuated through alternate routes.

The oldest

Ponte Milvio Bridge (Rome)

The 136-meter structure, spanning the Tiber River, is about 2,100 years old. The first mention of the Ponte Milvio bridge (then it was wooden) dates back to 207 BC. A stone bridge built built in 109 BC. The Flaminian road passed through it to Adriatic Sea, connecting Rome with Ariminum (today Rimini). The bridge was crossed by many triumphants, including Julius Caesar.

For many centuries, the bridge was a strategic defensive structure. It was often destroyed - the last time this was done by Garibaldi's troops in 1849. The crossing was restored in 1870.

Cars drove across the bridge until 1956, when it was included in the list of protected monuments in Italy. Now the crossing is pedestrian only. It is considered the “bridge of lovers”, who attach locks to lamp posts and throw their keys into the river. One day one of the pillars collapsed under the weight of the locks, after which the authorities decided to ban hanging them. However, the public opposed it, and the tradition remained.

The most "lived-in"

Bridge Ponte Vecchio(Florence)

This is the oldest bridge in Florence and the only one that has retained its original appearance. The crossing was built in 1345. The bridge consists of three arches: two side arches (27 meters long) and a 30-meter central one. The height of the vaults is from 3.5 to 4.4 meters.

The main feature of Ponte Vecchio is the houses located on it. For many centuries there was lively trade here. According to some sources, the word “bankruptcy” was born here: if a merchant could not pay his debts, the counter with goods (it was called “banco”) was broken (“rotto”) by the guards.

In 1944, German troops leaving Florence blew up all the bridges except this one. According to one version, the bridge was recaptured by Resistance fighters; according to another, it was protected by a special order from Hitler.

The most inconspicuous

Moses Bridge (Holland)

The structure was built during a large-scale reconstruction of Fort Roovere (city of Halsteren). The designers were asked difficult task- build an “invisible” bridge across the fortress moat for tourists, so as not to spoil the picturesque view.

The architects took as a basis the story of the prophet Moses, before whom the waters of the sea parted. The bridge is made in the form of a trench, almost completely immersed in water - because of this, it is “invisible”. The bottom of the crossing is below the water level, but does not block its movement. Modified Accoya wood was used to construct the bridge. The service life of the bridge is 50 years.

The Moses Bridge received the "Best Building of 2011" award from the Union of Dutch Architects.