Connecting the lands. The Longest Bridges in the World
What so unusual can be in modern bridges? Some of them have a unique distinctive construction, others are incredibly dangerous and dilapidated, still others are striking in their scale. If you can overcome some bridges on foot in a few minutes, then it will take several hours to drive others by car or train. In the world there are more than ten bridges, the length of which are several tens kilometers. A real leader in the number of the longest bridges in the world is China. Here, you can cross unique bridges by train or by car. Several leaders of the rating are located in the United States. Amazing 'bridge sights' there are also in Egypt and Thailand. Each of the bridges presented in the rating is unique. The history of their construction is incredibly interesting. They have long gained the status of outstanding sights. Thousands of travellers are inspired to ride across the longest bridges of the world or even to look at them.
Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, China
The longest bridge in the world is in China. Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct is the railway bridge connecting two major cities - Shanghai and Nanking. The length of the railway bridge is 164.8 km, while 9 km of the bridge are laid over the water basins. The tourists who take the express train on the bridge can see a lot of the beautiful rivers and lakes. The largest water basin is Yangcheng Lake.
The construction of the bridge started in 2008. The project took only two years. The bridge was already fully operational in 2010 and its official opening took place in June 2011. The grandiose project cost more than 10 billion US dollars. During the bridge construction, over 500,000 tonnes of steel and more than 2.5 million cubic meters of concrete were used.
Immediately after the opening, the Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct was entered into the Guinness Book of Records. For more than 4 years, the bridge has been the largest structure of this type on earth. The bridge built for the sole purpose - it should improve the traffic between the big cities of the country. Now the locals can get to Nanking from Shanghai at best. For the tourists, the express train running across the bridge became an attractive attraction.
Next - Bang Na Expressway
Bang Na Expressway, Thailand
In the capital of Thailand is the Bang Na Magistrale. This is a wonderful bridge construction, one of the longest bridges in the world. The construction of the main road started in 1995 and lasted for five years. Officially, the bridge was opened in February 2000. The bridge length is 54 kilometers, and the width is 27.2 meters. There are three lanes in each direction.
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Langfang–Qingxian viaduct, China
The second longest bridge in the world is also in China. The length of the long-distance Qingxian viaduct is 113.7 km. The construction of this grandiose bridge took a bit more than two years. In 2011, the bridge was put into operation. The viaduct connects several important areas of China: Beijing, as well as the urban districts Tianjin and Langfang. The bridge is not far from the southern railway station of Beijing, so the construction has begun to attract curious tourists since the beginning of construction.
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Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, USA
In the United States, on the territory of the Louisiana state, there is a unique dam bridge with a length of 38.42 km. It was built over the Pontchartrain Lake and has two towns on its shores - Matairie and Mandeville. In reality, the construction of this bridge structure consists of two individual busbars, which allow free traffic in both directions. The reliability of the bridge is ensured by 9,000 concrete piles.
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King Fahd Causeway, Saudi Arabia - Bahrain
In Saudi Arabia is located King Fahd Dam, whose general length is 25 km. The opening of the Brückendamm took place in 1986. The bridge was named in honor of the prominent king Fahd bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud. The King of Saudi Arabia participated personally in the bridge of the bridge. The ceremony took place on 11th November 1982. Despite the grand scale of the bridge, which demanded the investment of 1.2 billion US dollars, the project was fully financed by the authorities of Saudi Arabia.
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6th October Bridge, Egypt
In Cairo is the bridge of 6 October with the length of 20.5 km. This bridge crosses the Nile twice and connects the western part of the city to the international airport, which is located in the eastern part of Cairo. The bridge was named to honor the important historical event. On 6 October 1973, the Ramadan war between Egypt and Israel began. The bridge building started in Cairo in 1969 and lasted a little over 30 years. In 1996 the bridge was put into operation.
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Wei River Bridge, China
The bridge, which is laid out over the Wei River in China, is one of the most striking architectural attractions of the world. The railway bridge connects the cities of Xian and Zhengzhou and has the length of about 79.7 km. The bridge crosses Wei River, on whose honor it was named, twice. Although the bridge construction had already been completed in 2008, the bridge was put into operation only in 2010, when the new railway line was started.
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Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge, USA
Many tourists know the bridge of Louisianna parachute jumpers among the other names - Atchafalaya Swamp bridge. This double bridge, 29.3 km long, is located on the territory of the Louisiana state, connecting two large cities - Lafayette and Baton Rouge. The bridge crosses Atchafalaya river. On this route, two parallel streets of the bridge unite.
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