The longest bridge in China - dimensions and photos. The longest sea bridge in the world was opened in China. It is beautiful and chic, but it has already been criticized by Other Bridges of the Middle State
In southern China, Chinese President Xi Jinping officially opened the most long bridge in the world. Its length is 55 kilometers. It consists of an almost 23-kilometer open surface area, a 6.7-kilometer tunnel and several artificial islands.
The construction took 420 thousand tons of steel, the same amount of material would be enough to build 60 Eiffel Towers. For vehicle traffic there are three lanes in each direction. The speed of movement on the bridge and tunnel is limited to 100 km per hour.
Construction of the bridge took nine years and the project cost $20 billion. According to the BBC, 18 workers died during the construction of the crossing, and the casualties number in the “hundreds.”
This bridge connects Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland city of Zhuhai. Previously, this journey took about four hours, but with the construction of the crossing, the travel time was reduced to 30 minutes. The bridge will be opened for regular traffic tomorrow, October 24. However, only cars with a special permit will be allowed to drive on it.
What is a bridge? This is an artificial structure that can be erected through any physical obstacle, be it a river, ravine, lake, strait, building or anything else. It is believed that bridges appeared in ancient times - this is generally one of the oldest engineering structures which was built by human hands. Initially, the buildings were made of wood, then stone took its place.
Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct (164.8 km)
Our list opens with the Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct. This is the longest bridge in the world, the length of which is as much as 164.8 kilometers! Interestingly, this is a railway bridge located in Eastern China in Jiangsu province between the cities of Nanjing and Shanghai. Mostly located above ground, but approximately 9 km are above ground water surface. The discovery of this stronium took place two years ago.
If we talk about the amount that was spent by the Chinese government, it is huge - more than 10 billion US dollars! At the same time, 500 thousand tons of steel and about 2.5 million cubic meters of concrete were spent on construction! Incredible numbers! By the way, the Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Tianjin Viaduct (113.7 km)
Another Chinese viaduct. Is part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed railway and the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, like our previous contender. Its length is 113.7 kilometers. It starts near Beijing South railway station and ends in the city of Tianjin, crossing several districts of Langfang along the way. As in the previous case, its opening took place in the summer of 2011.
Wei Bridge (79.73 km)
Yes, it’s not so easy to believe, but the third place on our list is again occupied by the Chinese bridge! It is interesting because it crosses the Wei River twice during its route. Of course, it also crosses other rivers, but in this case it is no longer so important.
The structure is part of the Zhengzhou High Speed Rail Line, which connects Chinese cities Xi'an and Zhengzhou. It is noteworthy that the facility was ready for delivery back in 2008, however Chinese government decided to wait. The opening of the bridge took place in 2010 along with the opening of the railway line.
Bang Na Expressway (54 km)
Well, we are finally moving from China to nearby Thailand, where the Bang Na highway passes, the length of which is 54 km. Interestingly, it runs right in Bangkok and is an overhead bridge-type structure that has six traffic lanes (three in each direction). The total width of the roadway is just over 27 meters.
The government of the country decided to build a bridge in order to relieve the city from numerous traffic jams. The only problem is that you have to pay to cross the bridge, and not every local resident can afford this.
Work on the creation took more than five years - the opening of the bridge took place in 2000, and the total construction costs amounted to more than one billion dollars.
Qingdao Bay Bridge (42.5 km)
And again China awaits us, or rather, the Qingdao Bridge, which crosses the northern part of Jiaozhou Bay, connecting the industrial area of Huangdao with the city of Qingdao.
Construction took only four years and about $10 billion. The bridge stands on more than 5,000 supports. The roadway is divided into six lanes, the quality of the asphalt is excellent. More than two million cubic meters of concrete were used for construction, as well as about half a million tons of steel. Representatives of the company that built this structure claim that its structure is so strong that it can easily withstand an eight-magnitude earthquake. Interestingly, the workers started building at the same time from both ends and eventually met exactly in the middle of the “distance”.
Meanwhile, local residents they are not very happy with the construction, since they do not see any particular benefit - you can get from Qingdao to Huangdao using a lot of other roads, spending twenty minutes more.
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (38.42 km)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is known as a bridge connecting the cities of Mandeville and Metairie, which are located in American state Louisiana. The structure crosses Lake Pontchartrain. The idea of its creation appeared in the 19th century, but the construction of the bridge began only in the middle of the 20th century. The creation was completed seven years later, and a parallel bridge was also built. The total cost is about $57 million.
There was always a toll on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, so motorists had to pay $1.50. However, after 1999, travel conditions changed - now entry from the north side became free, while motorists coming from the south must pay $3.
Great Transoceanic Bridge over Hangzhou Bay (35.67 km)
In front of you is a cable-stayed bridge, which is located in Hangzhou Bay off the eastern coast of China. It connects two cities - Ningbo and Shanghai. This is one of those rare cases, when the building was opened long before the official presentation was supposed to take place - this happened in 2008 instead of the planned 2010.
According to the company that built this highway, its service life reaches 100 years. The maximum permitted speed is 100 km/h, with three lanes available in each direction. Interestingly, about 40% of all Money provided by private enterprises that were interested in building the bridge. The remaining 60% was taken from various banks.
Thanks to this road, motorists save a lot of time getting from Ningbo to Shanghai - if previously it took them about five hours, now it takes only one hour.
Hangzhou Bay (36 km)
Hangzhou Bay begins in the north of China in Jiaxing and ends in the south in Ningbo. The bridge is the most important section of the highway on east coast. Thanks to this building, which, by the way, is curved in the shape of the English letter S, residents of Shanghai can get to Ningbo in just two hours, instead of the previous four, and the distance has been reduced to 120 kilometers. However, some manage to travel this section in just over one hour. There is a speed limit here - no higher than 100 km per hour, and the highway itself has three lanes in each direction, so there are no traffic jams here. The bridge's capacity is about 50,000 cars daily, and this is not so little. By the way, unlike most similar buildings, approximately in the middle of the route there is a kind of island for rest of drivers and passengers, where there are several hotels, bars, restaurants, parking lots, shops and, of course, restrooms.
Construction of Hangzhou Bay began back in 2003, and was put into operation only in 2009. The cost of the bridge was a mind-boggling $1.42 billion.
According to Wang Yong, chief construction engineer, they encountered great difficulties during the construction of the structure. Thus, the environment here is clearly not suitable for bridges, since there are periodic typhoons, and the seabed is so heterogeneous that there were problems with the installation of supports. In addition, there is a very strong current here. However, the bridge is now practically unaffected by natural disasters (for example, it can withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake on the Richter scale). Huge barges and floating cranes were used to install all the elements. As a result, a bridge of unreal beauty that outshines any others.
Zhunyang Bridge (35.66 km)
And again we are talking about China. The Runyang Bridge crosses the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province and connects the cities of Yangzhou and Zhenjiang. Construction began in 2000, and five years later the bridge structure was put into operation. Costs amounted to about $700 million.
Shanghai Maglev (30.5 km)
And now it’s time to talk about more interesting things. The fact is that the Shanghai Maglev is the world's first commercial magnetic levitation railway line, which connects the Shanghai metro with international airport Pudong. High-speed trains run along the line, maximum speed which reaches 431 km/h. The train covers just over 30 km in 7 minutes and 20 seconds.
The railway line cost private company a lot of money, since a significant part of it is laid through wetlands. However, passengers have to pay, since even the cheapest ticket costs about $6. His photo is just above.
The People's Republic of China always surprises with the scale of its buildings. Apparently, after the Great Chinese wall they can't stop, and they need the very best. Attracts special attention bridges in China. If you turn to Wikipedia with the question “ longest bridges in the world", then you can see that 12 out of 20 are in China, and occupy the top three positions. In this article we will tell you about the most exciting of them.
Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct
We'll start with the longest bridge in the world, which is listed in Guinness Book of Records. The length of the bridge is 164.8 km. The most amazing thing is that the construction took only two years, the construction period was from 2008 to 2010.
The Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct is located in the east of the country in Jiangsu province, connecting the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing, and is part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. Approximately 9 kilometers of the bridge is over water.
Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge
Another longest in the world, but this sea bridge connects big cities: Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Macau. The structure consists of a series of bridges - 38 km, underwater tunnels - about 7 km, access overpasses and artificial islands. Total length construction is 55 km, and the length of the main part of the bridge is about 30 km. Construction was completed in 2017 and took 8 years.
According to preliminary information, the bridge should be put into operation in May 2018. Before the construction of this facility, the first place among sea bridges was also occupied by the Chinese Qingdao Bay Bridge.
Hangzhou Bay Bridge
This longest transoceanic the world's bridge connecting Shanghai and Ningbo. Its length is 36 km, and halfway there is an island platform where drivers can stop and rest or have a snack right in the middle of the bay. Construction of the bridge lasted from 2003 to 2007.
Pedestrian glass bridge
Another record holder was a pedestrian bridge in southern China in Sichuan province. He received the title - the highest in the world glass bridge. Its length is 488 meters, and it is located at an altitude of 1,880 meters above sea level (the distance from the bridge to the bottom of the gorge reaches 186 meters).
No more than 500 people are allowed onto the bridge at a time, but the structure itself is designed for 2,000 visitors. Of course, this walk is not for the faint of heart. In addition to this, the bridge has a special effect: plasmas are built into it, which emit cracked glass underfoot.
Duge Bridge
If we don't talk about pedestrian bridges, as for automobiles, even here the Chinese have surpassed everyone. It was completed in 2016 highest suspension bridge in the world, which connects the western and east coast Beipanjiang River. The Duge Bridge is located at an altitude of 564 m above the river and has a length of more than 1,341 meters. It took 3 years to build it.
Bridge over Sydukhe
Another suspension bridge spans the Siduhe River Valley in Hubei Province. It was he who occupied first place among suspension bridges before Duge was built. But we couldn’t ignore it because of its laconic design, which looks so organic against the backdrop of the picturesque landscape. The total length of the bridge is 1,222 meters, the height above ground level is 496 meters.
Lupu Bridge
Second longest steel arch bridge in the world with a total length of about 4 km. It is laid over the Huangpu River and connects two districts of Shanghai. Lupu Bridge has a modern design and looks especially impressive at night when the lights are on.
To select a project, a competition was held, which was organized by the city administration. The opening of the bridge took place in 2003.
Sutong Bridge
The bridge is located in Suzhou in Jiangsu Province in eastern China. It runs across the Yangtze River and is 8,206 meters long. The opening of the bridge took place in 2008. Not only is it an important landmark as it shortens the route between the two counties, but it is also a striking landmark due to its futuristic design.
Jiaxing-Shaoxing Bridge
The longest and widest bridge among multi-pylon cable-stayed bridges, crosses Hangzhou Bay and connects the cities of Jiaxing and Shaoxing. General bridge length 10,138 meters. It also looks very impressive at night when illuminated.
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BEIJING, Oct 23 – RIA Novosti. The world's longest sea bridge, 55 kilometers long, was opened in southern China, reports China Central Television. It connected Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai city of Guangdong province.
The ceremony took place in Zhuhai. It was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, Vice Premier of the State Council Han Zheng, Party Secretary of Guangdong Province Li Si and about 700 other guests.
A trip from Hong Kong to Zhuhai will now take half an hour instead of three hours. Free movement will open on October 24.
According to preliminary estimates, by 2030, more than 29 thousand vehicles and over 120 thousand passengers per day will cross the bridge. It is expected to contribute significantly to the economic integration and development of the three most important cities in the delta economic zone Pearl River, as well as tourism in Hong Kong and Macau.
© AP Photo/Andy Wong
© AP Photo/Andy Wong
The bridge consists of several surface parts with a total length of 22.9 kilometers, an underwater tunnel 6.7 kilometers long, several artificial islands, as well as special border checkpoints between mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The weight of the bridge exceeds 400 thousand tons. It should last up to 120 years and is designed to withstand a strong typhoon with wind speeds of over 300 kilometers per hour, as well as an earthquake of magnitude eight.
The design also took into account the fact that this area is one of the most navigable in China. Thus, the bridge spans are located at the proper height, and the distance between the supports is sufficient so as not to disrupt the movement of ships.
History of construction
The idea to connect Hong Kong and Guangdong province with a bridge appeared in the late 1980s. In 2003, the central government of China ordered preliminary calculations and development of the project to begin. Hundreds of research organizations were involved in the design. The number of registered patents involved in construction exceeded a thousand.
Hong Kong and Macau are special administrative regions that became part of China in 1997 and 1999 under the principle of “one country, two systems.” Each of the three governments agreed to build the necessary infrastructure on their territory, but for a long time they could not agree on financing the main part of the bridge.
Construction began in December 2009 and was due to be completed in 2016. But the opening was delayed due to corruption, budget revisions, accidents, accidents and unfavorable weather conditions.
In addition, the project was criticized by environmentalists, primarily due to the decline in the population of Chinese white dolphins - symbols of Hong Kong. According to the regional government, from April 2007 to March 2018, only about 50 individuals were recorded in Hong Kong waters.
Finally, the wait has come; China is frozen on the eve of the official opening of the longest sea bridge in the world. This truly gigantic structure, 55 km long, made it possible to connect the country's three most important cities - Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau. Head of State Xi Jinping, who initiated the creation of this grandiose and significant transport artery, is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of such a large-scale project. But this is far from the first such ambitious creation of a great country that has plunged the whole world into shock and admiration at the same time.
It has already happened that when it comes to the most, most large-scale and amazing super achievements in any industry, be it science, technology, art or high tech, The Celestial Empire always strives to take its honorable first place. Bridge construction was no exception. After all, all the longest, highest, most... were created by Chinese engineers and builders in order not only to make their lives easier, but also to amaze the whole world with records.
In this review, we have collected their most famous creations, which surprise with their grandeur and originality.
1. The longest sea bridge in the world connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau
It's finished! Finally, the official opening ceremony of the most incredible marine engineering structure to date will take place, which connects three megacities on the shores of the South China Sea.
This ambitious project includes the world's longest underwater tunnel, three artificially created islands and the bridge itself, stretching over the surface of the sea. The total length of the entire structure is 55 km!
According to the designers themselves, such a large-scale structure can withstand even a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of up to 8 points, and its service life can be 120 years. Well, of course, it will fulfill its main purpose - to significantly reduce travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to 30 minutes.
2. Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct - the longest railway bridge in the world
Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct is the longest railway bridge.
The Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct (a bridge structure that passes over a depression or large gorge) is located in Eastern China between the cities of Nanjing and Shanghai and is part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway.
This large-scale structure is included in the Guinness Book of Records due to its record length - 164.8 kilometers. The builders did a tremendous job creating the bridge both on land, overcoming all types of difficult terrain, and over water - towering over canals, rivers and lakes.
Above grandiose project More than 10 thousand people worked, and such a large-scale creation was erected in just four years (2008-2011).
3. Beipanjiang - the highest cable-stayed suspension bridge in the world
Beipanjiang Bridge - on this moment the tallest suspension bridge in the world.
In order to connect the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, one of the most incredible bridges in the world was created. Due to difficult terrain conditions, bridge builders had to raise the bridge to a height of 570 meters, and its length is 1341 m.
4. Over-Water highway - the world's first bridge built along a river bed
A very unusual highway has been put into operation in the Chinese province of Hubei. Her main feature The location became completely non-standard - the highway was built directly along the river bed. And the reason for such an extraordinary decision is completely banal - local residents and environmental organizations were against the construction of an expressway and the disruption of the landscape of their area (it was necessary to demolish part of the mountain and make a tunnel in it). Thus a compromise was found.
Chinese engineers designed an original 4-kilometer viaduct, which made life much easier for motorists. Now this place has become a tourist attraction throughout the province.
5. Zhangjiajie - the longest and highest glass bridge in the world
In southern China, they created the longest glass bridge in the world called “Walk in the Sky,” which is the most fantastic creation of human genius.
Although recently there was information that the top layer of glass cracked only because one of the tourists dropped a metal mug. The visitors who were on the bridge at that moment were not in danger, but the commotion was enormous.