Longest Bridge in the World 2024

The process of determining the longest bridges in the world is less straightforward than one might expect. The main complication is that there exists no universally accepted method of measuring the length of a bridge. Some bridges are measured from one edge of the obstacle they span to the other (such as the shores of a river). Other bridges are measured by the length of their main span (between the pylons), from their entrance ramp to their exit ramp, from the point they first elevate above ground level to the point at which they touch down again, or by the total distance covered when the bridge was constructed.

The Top 12 Longest Bridges in the World:

RankBridgeLength*LocationTraffic Type
meterskmfeetmiles
1Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge164,800165540,700102.41ChinaHigh-speed rail
2Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct157,317157516,13297.75TaiwanHigh-speed rail
3Kita–Yaita Viaduct114,424114375,40771.10JapanHigh-speed rail
4Tianjin Grand Bridge113,700114373,00070.64ChinaHigh-speed rail
5Cangde Grand Bridge105,881106347,37965.79ChinaHigh-speed rail
6Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge79,73280261,58849.54ChinaHigh-speed rail
7Bang Na Expressway54,00054177,00033.52ThailandMotor vehicles (Expressway)
8Beijing Grand Bridge48,15348157,98229.92ChinaHigh-speed rail
9Metro Manila Skyway System39,20039128,60024.36PhilippinesMotor vehicles (Expressway)
10Lake Pontchartrain Causeway38,44238126,12223.89United StatesHigh-speed rail
11Line 1, Wuhan Metro Bridge37,78838123,97623.48ChinaMetro (train)
12Manchac Swamp Bridge36,71037120,44022.81United StatesMotor vehicles (Highway)

*Kilometers have been rounded to the nearest whole unit. Miles have been calculated based upon feet.

Types of bridges and the longest bridges in the world

Bridges take many forms. For example, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California is a suspension bridge whose deck hangs from vertical cables attached to two swooping horizontal cables held aloft by tower-like pylons. On the other hand, Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge is a through-arch bridge with a deck supported by an arched frame, and the current version of the London Bridge is a box girder bridge supported by horizontal beams of pre-stressed concrete. Additional bridge types include cable-stayed bridges, which resemble suspension bridges but use diagonal cables attached straight to the pylons; cantilever bridges, whose decks are anchored to trusses on each side but not in the center, and continuous truss bridges, which have supports for their full length. Additionally, many bridges blend these types (and more) into hybrid styles.

However, most of the longest bridges in the world (and all of the top 12) are viaducts, a type of bridge whose main deck is supported by a series of arches, much like a classic Roman aqueduct. Viaducts are most often used to maintain a consistent elevation across long stretches of uneven or otherwise volatile land. Viaducts prioritize efficiency over aesthetics and are rarely described as postcard-worthy in and of themselves—however, the scenery they traverse may still be beautiful.

Viaducts are particularly helpful in eastern and southern Asia, where 10 of the world's top 12 longest bridges are located. High-speed rail transportation is vital to this region and performs best when given a straight and level pathway—which viaducts seamlessly facilitate across all types of terrain. Viaducts also conserve precious land and are resistant to flooding, which is common in the region's many river valleys. China alone is home to seven of the top ten longest bridges in the world, most of which are intended specifically for high-speed rail.

The longest bridge in the world: Danyang Kunshan

The longest viaduct in the world, and in fact the longest bridge of any type, is the Danyang Kunshan bridge, which roughly follows the Yangtze River through the rice paddies, canals, rivers, and lakes of China's Jiangsu province. At more than 102 miles long, Danyang Kunshan bridge is nearly three times as long as the US state of Rhode Island is wide.

World's longest bridges of various types

If one were to leave viaducts off the list and focus upon bridges with the longest continuous spans—which is to say the longest unsupported stretch of bridge—the list of longest bridges changes considerably. More "traditional" bridge designs come to the fore, with suspension bridges emerging as the second-longest bridge type. With the notable exception of continuous truss bridges, China nearly always features the highest number of "top 10 longest" bridges of any given type.

Top 12 Longest Suspension Bridges in the World

RankBridgeLength*Location
meterskmfeetmiles
11915 Çanakkale Bridge2,0232.026,6371.26Turkey
2Akashi Kaikyo Bridge1,9911.996,5321.24Japan
3Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge1,7001.705,5771.06China
4Nansha Bridge (east span)1,6881.695,5381.05China
5Xihoumen Bridge1,6501,655,4131.03China
6Great Belt Bridge1,6241.625,3281.01Denmark
7Osman Gazi Bridge1,5501.555,0850.96Turkey
8Yi Sun-sin Bridge1,5451.555,0690.96South Korea
9Runyang Bridge1,4901.494,8890.93China
10Second Dongtinghu Bridge1,4801.484,8560.93China
11Nanjing Fourth Yangtze Bridge1,4181.424,6520.88China
12Humber Bridge1,4101.414,6260.88United Kingdom

*Kilometers have been rounded to the nearest whole unit. Miles have been calculated based upon feet.

The longest suspension bridge (and longest single span bridge) in the world as of 2023 is the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, which opened in March 2022. The bridge's main span stretches 2,023 meters (6,637 feet) across the Dardanelles Strait in northern Turkey. The bridge also serves as an example of the different methods of measuring bridges, as its total length counting its approach viaducts would be 4,608 meters (15,118 feet). At the time of its opening, the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge was also the second-tallest bridge in the world, with towers measured at 334 meters (1,096 feet) in height and a road deck 72.8 meters (239 feet) above the water.

The world's second-longest single span belongs to Akashi Kaikyo bridge in Japan, which employs a 6,532 foot main span to connect the city of Kobe, Honshu to Iwaya, Awaji. The Akashi Kaikyo is also one of the tallest bridges in the world, standing 928 feet above the bustling Akashi Strait. More than 187 thousand miles of cable were used in the bridge’s suspension—enough to wrap around the Earth 7.5 times.

With a main span of 4,200 feet, San Francisco, California's beloved Golden Gate bridge ranks as the world's 19th-longest (though arguably best-known) suspension bridge. The Golden Gate is narrowly edged out as the longest single span in the United States by the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge (1,298 meters / 4,259 feet), which connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brookln in New York City.

Top 12 Longest Cable-Stayed Bridges in the World:

RankBridgeLength (main span)*Location
meterskmfeetmiles
1Russky Bridge1,1041.103,6220.69Russia
2Hutong Yangtze River Bridge1,0921.093,5820.68China
3Sutong Yangtze River Bridge1,0881.093,5690.68China
4Stonecutters Bridge1,0181.023,3390.63Hong Kong
5Qingshan Yangtze River Bridge9380.943,0770.58China
6Edong Yangtze River Bridge9260.933,0380.58China
7Jiayu Yangtze River Bridge9200.923,0180.57China
8Tatara Bridge8900.892,9190.55Japan
9Pont de Normandie8560.862,8080.55France
10Chizhou Yangtze River Bridge8280.832,7160.51China
11Shishou Yangtze River Bridge8200.822,6900.51China
12Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge8180.822,6840.51China

Top 12 Longest Arch Bridges in the World:

RankBridgeLength (main span)*Location
meterskmfeetmiles
1Pingnan Third Bridge5750.581,8860.36China
2Chaotianmen Bridge5520.551,8110.34China
3Lupu Bridge5500.551,8040.34China
4Bosideng Bridge5300.531,7390.33China
5New River Gorge Bridge5180.521,6990.32United States
6Bayonne Bridge5100.511,6730.32United States
7Zigui Yangtze River Bridge5080.511,6670.32China
8Hejiang Yangtze River Bridge5070.511,6630.31China
9Sydney Harbour Bridge5030.501,6500.31Australia
10Wushan Bridge4600.461,5090.29China
11Guantang Bridge4570.461,4990.28China
12Mingzhou Bridge4500.451,4760.28China

Top 12 Longest Cantilever Bridges in the World:

RankBridgeLength (main span)*Location
meterskmfeetmiles
1Pont de Québec5490.551,8000.34Canada
2Forth Bridge5210.521,7100.32Scotland/UK
3Minato Bridge5100.511,673032Japan
4Commodore Barry Bridge5010.501,6440.31United States
5Crescent City Connection4800.481,5750.30United States
6Sanguantang Bridge4650.471,5260.29China
7Howrah Bridge4570.461,5000.28India
8Veterans Memorial Bridge4450.451,4600.28United States
9Tokyo Gate Bridge4400.441,4430.27Japan
10San Francisco Bay Bridge (east span - replaced 2016)4270.431,4000.27United States
11JC Van Horne Bridge3800.381,2470.24Canada
12Astoria-Megler Bridge3760.381,2320.23United States

Top 12 Longest Continuous Truss Bridges in the World:

RankBridgeLength*Location
meterskmfeetmiles
1Ikitsuki Bridge4000.401,3120.25Japan
2Astoria-Megler Bridge3760.381,2320.23United States
3Francis Scott Key Bridge3660.371,2000.22sUnited States
4Hart Bridge3310.331,0880.21United States
5Oshima Bridge3250.331,0660.20Japan
6Tenmon Bridge3000.309840.19Japan
7Kuronoseto Bridge3000.309840.19Japan
8Taylor-Southgate Bridge2590.268500.16United States
9Julien Dubuque Bridge2580.268450.16United States
10Braga Bridge2560.268400.16United States
11Kamakari Bridge2550.268370.16Japan
12Earle C. Clements Bridge2510.258260.16United States

*In all tables, miles have been manually calculated based upon given measurements in feet and both miles and kilometers have been rounded to the nearest decimal.

Where is the longest bridge in the world?

China hosts the world's longest bridge, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge. This high-speed rail bridge stretches 165 km (102.4 miles).

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources