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:

*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

*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:

Top 12 Longest Arch Bridges in the World:

Top 12 Longest Cantilever Bridges in the World:

Top 12 Longest Continuous Truss Bridges in the World:

*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.