The 10 longest bridges in the world are engineering marvels. They allow people to safely get from one place to another more easily than if these bridges did not exist. In some cases, these bridges make this type of direct travel from one place to another possible at all.
Seven Mile Bridge
This bridge in Florida is located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait. This Florida Keys Bridge links Key Vaca which is in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. It is actually referred to as the Overseas Highway and is one of the longest bridges in the US and the world.
San Mateo-Hayward Bridge
This bridge is located in California and is another US representative on the list of the world’s longest bridges. It links the San Francisco Peninsula to the East Bay to cross San Francisco Bay. The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge is owned by the state of California.
Confederation Bridge
This bridge in Canada crosses the Abergweit Passage located in the Northumberland Strait. It connects Price Edward Island with New Brunswick. This bridge has also been called the Fixed Link by many of the nearby residents.
Rio-Niteroi Bridge
This bridge finds its home in Brazil. As the name suggests, this bridge links Rio de Janeiro with Niteroi. Although the name listed above is the more common name, the official moniker of this bridge is the President Costa e Silva Bridge. It was given this name to honor the president of Brazil who was responsible for its construction.
Penang Bridge
This bridge is found in Malaysia and links Gelugor in Penang Island to Seberang Prai on the Malay Peninsula. This lengthy bridge is also connected to the Jelutong Expressway in Penang as well as the North-South Expressway in Prai. This bridge is 8.4 miles long and the longest so far on this list.
Vasco da Gama Bridge
Even longer than the Penang Bridge is the Vasco de Gama Bridge in Portugal. It is a cable bridge that crosses the Tagus River. How much longer is this than the Penang Bridge? The Vasco de Gama Bridge is a remarkable 10.7 miles long.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
This bridge in Maryland is officially known as the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge. It was named after the governor of Maryland who was responsible for its construction.
King Fahd Causeway
You will find this bridge in Saudi Arabia linking Khobar with Bahrain. The King Fahd Causeway is a dike-bridge.
Donghai Bridge
The Donghai Bridge in China is known for being the longest bridge in the world that crosses a sea. Its length is an astounding 20.2 miles. It links Yangshan Port to Shanghai.
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
This bridge is located in Louisiana is comprised of two bridges that run parallel to each other. Combined, the two bridges measure 23.87 miles in length. This bridge links Metairie in the south and Mandeville in the north. It is definitely the longest bridge here and makes you wonder just how much longer a bridge can get.
Tommy Rhencker is passionate about providing students information on how to find excellent schools offering a masters in engineering degree.
i love bridges, i realy rely love it, and i bow my head to all those architect and engrs who made those bridges.
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge that spans from Metairie, LA to Mandeville, LA is on of the most beautiful rides in Southeast Louisiana. The only thing is that it is hard to relax sometimes because the Causeway does not have a shoulder. The bridge was able to be constructed with ease due to the average depth of Lake Pontchartrain being only 12 feet.
As a former Causeway commuter, I have both fond and not-so-fond memories of the daily drive back and forth across the bridge.
As Thad pointed out, the Causeway is a scenic and enjoyable drive, especially when heading north-bound at sunset on a clear evening. The sight of the setting sun over the water is enough to make drivers put their safety at risk in order to capture a photograph as they head north. After witnessing the sight, one can almost forgive them for it.
The only other issue I ever had with the Causeway is that on some mornings, the traffic simply comes to a screeching halt for seemingly unknown reasons. It’s always bad on mornings with fog when they lower the speed limit. However, for anyone who is expected to be at work for between 8 and 9 o’clock (AM), one often has to leave at least a half hour earlier than the amount of time the drive usually takes in order to be assured of getting to work on time regardless of fog and/or traffic.
Great article, thanks for sharing!