The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge in China is currently the longest bridge in the world, stretching over 164 kilometers and taking just over three years to build at a cost of 100 billion Vietnamese dong.
Bridges come in all shapes and sizes, from the world’s longest suspension bridge connecting Europe and Asia to a bridge woven from living roots in India. However, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge in China holds both titles of the longest bridge and the second longest bridge in the world, according to IFL Science.
The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is located in Jiangsu Province, China, with a total length of over 164.8 km and is considered the “longest bridge in the world.” Due to its length and varying terrain below the bridge, it functions as both a viaduct and a cable-stayed bridge in different sections. Viaducts are bridges supported by a series of towers or arches underneath, while cable-stayed bridges use tensioned cables running diagonally from towers above the bridge. The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is so long that a section of it, known as the Langfang–Qingyun Bridge, is even regarded as the second longest bridge in the world, measuring 114 km.
The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge stands approximately 31 m above ground, consists of over 4,500 box girders weighing 900 tons, and was completed by more than 10,000 workers over three years at a total cost of 30 billion yuan. The bridge was officially opened for use in 2011.
Since it is part of the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is also regarded as the “longest railway bridge in the world.”
The Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway connects the two largest cities in China. Each day, hundreds of thousands of passengers travel on this route. However, the project faced numerous challenges in southern Jiangsu due to various geological, hydrological, and economic factors.
To minimize land clearance costs for constructing the high-speed railway, Chinese designers proposed the bold idea of building a bridge over the river instead of a land-based highway. This was the purpose behind the construction of the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge.
The successful construction of the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge marks a significant achievement for China in the field of infrastructure development.
“The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is undoubtedly a remarkable engineering feat and will leave a lasting mark on the world,” Chinese media praised.
The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge has now become a stunning landmark in Jiangsu. The elevated stations along the bridge also provide opportunities for development for the cities along the route. Cities rich in Chinese cultural heritage such as Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Kunshan are now more closely connected.
Despite the relatively fast construction process, the bridge was designed to withstand a range of natural disasters affecting the area, such as earthquakes and storms, as well as direct impacts from naval vessels weighing up to 300,000 tons. The estimated lifespan of the bridge is over 100 years.
