The 5 biggest bridges in the world
The 5 biggest bridges in the world
You likely use them every day, but have you ever
stopped to consider how incredible bridges are? They’re massive spans of
concrete, metal, and wires that weigh thousands of tons, yet remain standing
even through destructive and violent natural disasters like earthquakes, floods,
and hurricanes.
Bridges are also key to the way we move and serve as an important tool for many commuters. Despite this, how often do you read a piece extolling the greatness of bridges, or hear an ode to their wonders? Not often enough, by our measure. Let’s correct that, shall we? Here’s a quick sampling of the biggest bridges out there
1. AKASHI KAIKYO BRIDGE
The longest suspension bridge
The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge is a suspension
bridge, which links the city of Kobe on the Japanese mainland of Honshu to
Iwaya on Awaji Island. It crosses the busy Akashi Strait as part of the
Honshu–Shikoku Highway.
Address: 4 Higashimaikocho, Tarumi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 655-0047, Japan
Total length: 3,911 m
Construction started: May 1988
Bridge type: Suspension bridge
Location: Awaji Island, Kobe, Awaji
Did you know: Akashi Kaikyō Bridge is the world's longest suspension bridge in the world with a length of 3911 meters (12,831 ft).
Bridge Hours and Fees
Bridge Exhibition Center
Hours
9:15 to 17:00 (some seasonal variation);
admission ends 30 minutes before closing
Closed
Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national
holiday), December 29 to January 3
Admission
310 yen
Bridge Recommended Hotels
ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kobe
Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel
Suspension bridges are feats of architectural engineering. Think about it: A giant structure of wires and pylons manipulating tension and compression to allow for a single span of heavy material to be suspended in air, thus letting it bridge wide chasms and bodies of water.
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge, but the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (aka the Pearl Bridge) holds the title for the world’s longest. This 2.4-mile-long bridge spans the Akashi Strait, connecting the city of Kobe on the Honshu mainland with Awaji Island. Since 1998, the bridge has carried six lanes of traffic and approximately 23,000 cars a day between the two towns.
The impressive central span ranks as the longest in the world at 1.24
miles long, and the bridge itself is built to withstand a magnitude 8.5
earthquake. In fact, during construction the 1995 Kobe Earthquake actually
forced the two central towers further apart, making the center span three feet
longer than it was originally designed. But earthquakes aren’t the only natural
disaster the Akashi Kaikyo is built to withstand. The region is also prone
to typhoon activity, so designers also built it to withstand 180mph winds too.
Bridge Access
The Bridge Exhibition Center and the Maiko Marine Promenade are located
a short walk from Maiko Station on the JR Sanyo Line (25 minutes, 300 yen from
Sannomiya Station by local train) or Maiko-Koen Station on the Sanyo Railway
Main Line.
2. HONG KONG-ZHUHAI-MACAU BRIDGE
The longest
cross-sea bridge
Location | Year completed | Length | Architect |
China | 2018 | 31 miles | ARUP |
China long ago cemented itself as one of the leading countries when it comes to bridge building, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge only further cements the country’s reputation. At 31 miles in length, it is the longest cross-sea bridge in the world, twice as long as the country’s Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, the former longest bridge in the world.
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau has completely changed transportation between the cities. The former inland route between Hong Kong and Macau is a four-hour trek: On the bridge, travel time may be as little as 30 minutes.
Chinese officials hope that the bridge spurns economic development in southern China, one of the country’s poorest areas. At the same time, it strengthens Hong Kong’s position as the economic heart of the region. While the bridge is the longest cross-sea bridge, it actually consists of two sections and three artificial islands. Connecting the two sections is a 1.7-mile tunnel closer to the Hong Kong side, which gives enough space for large shipping vessels to pass through.
Not everything has gone according to plan, however. Construction began in 2009, but ongoing issues with land reclamation caused major delays. Construction on the bridge ended in mid-2017, but paving of the bridge wasn’t completed until early in 2018. The cost of the bridge is staggering: At $18.3 billion, it is one of the most expensive in the world. Eight things you need to know about Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge by He Shusi :
1. Vehicles that can use the bridge Among the vehicle types authorised to use the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HKMB), shuttle buses will run only between the ports of Hong Kong and Zhuhai/Macao, not crossing any boundaries. Cross-boundary coaches via the HZMB will operate similarly to current coaches that run between the Chinese mainland and the two special administrative regions through existing ports, such as the Shenzhen Bay Port. Cross-boundary private cars under quotas for existing boundary crossings (ie, Shenzhen Bay and Lok Ma Chau) will be allowed to use the bridge without additional procedures on a trial basis.
Heavy duty: The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is expected to carry 29,100 vehicles and 126,000 passengers daily by 2030 CREDIT: VGC According to figures from the Transport Department in Hong Kong, the number of Hong Kong cross-boundary private cars issued with valid closed road permits (CRPs) was 30,400 in 2017.
The number of mainland cross-border boundary cars with such permits is more than 20,000, according to the bridge operator, the HZMB Authority. Governments in Hong Kong and the mainland have both promised flexible adjustment of quotas for cross-boundary private cars in accordance with the traffic volume.
2. Which side of the road are vehicles on?
The HZMB has a dual three-lane carriageway; the speed limit is 100km/h on the main bridge. As the bridge is mostly located in mainland waters, vehicles will keep to the right of the road. Cars can change to the left after passing the boundary checkpoints in Hong Kong and Macao. World's longest sea crossing: The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge CREDIT: XINHUA
3. What is the toll charge?
The HZMB Authority will be in charge of the bridge toll. The toll will be in yuan. There is only one toll plaza with 20 toll gates, which is located near the Macao and Zhuhai ports on the mainland side. All toll gates will be available for auto-toll systems in Hong Kong and Guangdong province. Besides cash, bank cards and e-payment such as WeChat Pay and Alipay will be available.
4. Management and customs clearance
The main bridge, located in mainland waters, will be managed by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority, which was jointly found by the governments of Guangdong province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR in 2010. It is responsible for the construction, operation, maintenance, and management of the main bridge. The authority is located in Zhuhai. There are monitoring centers and departments charged with responsibilities such as road rescue, maintenance and fire services, on the west and east artificial islands of the bridge, for daily operation, maintenance and emergencies. The ports in Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao will be open 24 hours daily. They are built and managed by local governments respectively.
Zhuhai and Macao will co-operate to implement one-off customs clearances in the two ports. The two cities will share immigration data, allowing travelers to finish the exit and entry process in one pass. Under construction: Workers in Macao fit equipment on an artificial island for the bridge CREDIT: XINHUA
5. Length, tunnel, and artificial islands
The HZMB is a 55km-long bridge-island-tunnel complex across the Pearl River Estuary. It is the world’s longest such sea crossing. The bridge consists of a 6.7km undersea tunnel, which is the country’s first offshore immersed tunnel and the world’s longest immersed tunnel for road traffic.
It is connected to the bridge through two offshore artificial islands. The tunnel is built to reserve room for a planned shipping channel for passenger liners with a displacement of 300,000 tons. As the planned location is close to Hong Kong international airport, where there is a height limitation in the airspace, a tunnel must be built subsea instead of a bridge with tall towers. Innovative: Artificial islands were constructed as part of the bridge CREDIT: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
6. When did construction start? What was the cost?
The plan to build a link road across the Pearl River Estuary was initiated by Hong Kong industrialist Gordon Wu Ying-sheung in 1983. After several twists and turns, the feasibility study started in March 2004 under the State Council’s approval. The study report was approved in October 2009, followed by a commencement ceremony on 15 December in the same year, chaired by Li Keqiang, then the vice premier, in Zhuhai. The cost so far of the HZMB is about ¥120bn ($17.4bn), with the 29.6km main bridge invested in by the three governments estimated at ¥48.1bn.
The rest are investments by individual governments in their ports and link roads to the main bridge. The cost allocation among the three governments will be settled by the assessment of economic benefits they can get from the bridge. In progress: The bridge during construction in November 2017 CREDIT: ROY LIU/CHINA DAILY
7. Why build the bridge?
The most important benefit is that the bridge will provide the east and west of the Pearl River Estuary with direct road connections, which can enormously facilitate the development of industries that rely on fast transport, such as logistics, food, and conventions and exhibitions. Built to last: The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has a designed life span of 120 years CREDIT: EDMOND TANG/CHINA DAILY
8. Why does the bridge not connect to Shenzhen?
Looking to the future of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Liu Xiaodong, a major designer of the HZMB, told China Daily that there will be five bridges across the Pearl River Estuary by around 2035, or one sea crossing in parallel every 20km. Future traffic demand was taken into account during the preliminary design for the bridge back in 2003, Liu said. “You can't expect one bridge to meet all needs,” Liu said. “The HZMB may not carry the largest traffic volume; as the first sea crossing in the Pearl River Estuary, it will pave the way for the adjustment of industrial structure in the Bay Area,” he said.
The HZMB has brought precious experience for similar projects in the future.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan link, now under construction, is a perfect example. Based on technologies, marine data, talents and all the other experiences from the HZMB, the new link is also a bridge-island-tunnel complex, about 40km to the north of the HZMB.
3. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN CAUSEWAY Bridge
The longest continuous bridge over water The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge currently has the longest bridge span of any of the bridges on our list in the world in aggregate at 30.1 miles, but the longest continuous span over water is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. It is a 23.87-mile-long, low-level trestle bridge that lies across Lake Pontchartrain and connects New Orleans with Mandeville on the other side, as well as the rest of the southeastern United States without having to drive around the lake.
Following the completion of construction, communities on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain saw financial benefits as they were now included in the New Orleans metropolitan area. Drive times were reduced by nearly an hour. With a speed limit of 65mph, you can be across the bridge in about 20 minutes or so. While not necessarily built to withstand major hurricanes, the Causeway was able to withstand the storm surge of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with relatively little damage. The bridge itself played a crucial role in getting in emergency supplies to the city of New Orleans and only was closed for three weeks following the storm — the only time the Causeway had ever closed to traffic since its opening.
4. MILLAU VIADUCT Bridge
The tallest bridge We’ve given a lot of attention to bridges with impressive lengths, but that isn’t the only measure that makes a bridge noteworthy. The tallest bridge in the world — meaning the height of the structure’s tallest point — is the Millau Viaduct, located in Aveyron, France. The Millau Viaduct is a stayed-cable bridge that stretches 1.5 miles across the Tarn River Valley.
The expressway lanes are 890 feet at its highest point above the Valley floor, but the structure itself towers another 235 feet above for a total height of 1,125 feet, making it an iconic fixture of France’s countryside. Routinely heralded as one of the greatest feats of modern engineering, the bridge’s iconic look and the impressive engineering behind it are the result of the viaduct’s cable-stayed design, which uses massive pylons to hold thick steel cables that bear the weight of the structure’s spans.
5. DUGE BRIDGE
The highest bridge Tallest is one thing, but highest is another — and by highest we mean the length between the bridge’s span and the lowest point of the ground beneath it. That record belongs to the Duge bridge (also known as Beipanjiang Bridge Duge) in Guizhou, China. While the cable-stayed bridge itself is only 4,400 feet long, it connects two sides of a deep valley. The span floats a daunting 1,854 feet above ground at the deepest point, and could fit New York City’s One World Trade Center underneath it with another 80 feet or so to spare.
Beipanjiang Bridge Duge is not alone in Guizhou Province. Fun fact: The region has more of the world’s highest bridges than every other country on earth combined, and by 2020 there will be more than 250 bridges at heights greater than 330 feet in the province. While that might seem like a lot, all those bridges serve an important and necessary function. Before serious bridge construction began, traveling through Guizhou’s mountainous and ravine-filled countryside was difficult, with most transportation taking place on small, two-lane roads.
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