10 longest bridges in China

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

China is an amazing and rich country in terms of landscape. There are mountain ranges of Tibet, and wide rivers, and even sea straits. And there are also a lot of people, cities and just settlements that need to be somehow connected together. Therefore, China will be able to please also fans of impressive architectural structures.

Especially for those who want to enjoy the achievements of architecture and technology, we have compiled a ranking of the 10 longest bridges in China. The material includes buildings located both in the People's Republic of China (China itself) and in the Republic of China (also called Taiwan).

Ranking of the longest bridges in China

Nomination	a place	Bridge	Length
Ranking of the longest bridges in China	1	Hangzhou Bay Bridge	35.7 KM
	2	Yangchun Viaduct	35.8 KM
	3	Wuhan Subway Line One Overpass	37.8 KM
	4	Beijing viaduct	48.1 KM
	5	Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge	55 KM
	6	Wei Bridge	79.7 KM
	7	Changdei Viaduct	105.81 KM
	8	Tianjin viaduct	113.7 KM
	9	Zhanghua-Kaohsiung Viaduct	157.3 KM
	10	Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct	164.8 KM

10th place: Bridge over the Hangzhou Bay, 35.7 km

Rating: 4.1

The Hangzhou Bay Bridge connects Jiaxing and Ningbo. It crosses an oceanic bay, cutting the path between the two Chinese metropolises by more than 16 kilometers. The main feature of this bridge is that it is the longest transoceanic bridge in the world.

The bridge is intended for car traffic. They cross it at a speed of about 100 km / h. An artificial island was built in the middle of the way, where maintenance is carried out – both of the architectural structure itself and of passing vehicles.

It took about five years to build this impressive structure. The project was approved in 2003, and in 2008 the finished building was already put into operation. He not only optimized China's transport structure, but was also able to increase the tourist flow to Ningbo city. This route is also expected to help incorporate the city into a special economic zone called 'Greater Shanghai'.

9th place: Yangchun Viaduct, 35.8 km

Rating: 4.2

The 35.8-kilometer Yangchun Railway Bridge is part of the line connecting the two largest cities in China – Beijing and Tianjin. It was originally built specifically for high-speed trains. On average, trains zip through it at an impressive 350 km / h.

The Yangchun Viaduct is built on mainland China and hardly crosses any large bodies of water on its route. The purpose of the bridge is quite different. It was designed so that the railroad on which high-speed trains travel was flat and straight like an arrow. Only in this case it will be possible to accelerate sufficiently.

The bridge was put into operation in 2007. The high-speed highway itself is 117 kilometers long, and thanks to this structure, the trip takes only about 30 minutes. Before the opening of the bridge, Chinese who wanted to travel from Beijing to Tianjin (or vice versa) had to spend more than an hour on the trip.

8th place: Overpass of the First line of the Wuhan subway, 37.8 km

Rating: 4.3

Wuhan has the longest overground metro bridge in the world. The first line of the local metro was laid on it completely – from start to finish, without tunnels. The length of the metro bridge is an impressive 37.8 km, but at the same time it is completely located in one single urban area – Hankou.

There are 32 stations on this bridge. The entire first line of the Wuhan subway is located on this metro bridge. In the future, several more 'branches' were built, thanks to which the infrastructure was significantly expanded. The total urban passenger traffic in the metro of this city is 712 million people.

There are currently 12 lines in the Wuhan subway. Almost all of them have been launched in the past few years. It is planned to expand the metro infrastructure to 'branches', and, interestingly, quite a large part of the railway tracks in Wuhan runs above the ground. That is, there are many bridges, but the longest is on the First Line.

7th place: Beijing viaduct, 48.1 km

Rating: 4.4

The Beijing Viaduct (also called the Beijing Giant Bridge, or Beijing Giant Bridge) is a huge railway span that is part of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line. Its length is 48.1 km. Trains crossing this bridge cross it in just 6-10 minutes – they are so fast. So admiring the landscape outside the window is unlikely to work.

The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line is one of the longest railways in China. It connects the two main cities. The length of the line is 1318 km, and together with the bridge it was built in just 2 years.

There are several bridges along this high-speed railway line, but the Beijing Viaduct is the longest of them. However, the most beautiful are others. For example, an arched railway bridge over the Yangtze or a viaduct over the Yellow River.

The high-speed railway line is known only for its bridges. Despite the impressive acceleration, the interval between trains is only 3 minutes! Like in the subway.

6th place: Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, 55 km

Rating: 4.5

It is worth noting that the sixth place in our ranking is not quite a Chinese viaduct. But it is very long and partially located on the territory of the PRC. This bridge connects the Chinese city of Zhuhai, as well as the special regions of Macau and Hong Kong.

In addition, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is not yet a complete bridge structure. The structure of this span also includes tunnels. The main bridge is of cable-stayed type, has a length of 22.9 km and cuts the South China sea strait. There are three more viaducts with a maximum length of 500 meters. And, crossing this road, it is also supposed to descend under the sea – the structure also includes a 6.7-kilometer underwater tunnel.

In general, this traffic intersection is a real engineering wonder of the world. It was launched relatively recently, in 2018, and consists of many spans and artificial islands. It took eight years and $ 20 billion for construction.

5th place: Bridge over Wei, 79.7 km

Rating: 4.6

Wei is a river in China, the right and largest tributary of the Yellow River. And the bridge, which ranks fifth in our ranking, crosses it twice. Like many other extra-long viaducts in China, it is used by rail and is part of a high-speed line connecting the cities of Chenzhou and Xi'an.

The bridge is 79.7 km long, and was built specifically to ensure that there are as few twisting (both horizontally and vertically) sections as possible on the high-speed line. After all, trains zip through it at an impressive 350-400 km / h. For them, turns or slopes are extremely dangerous sections of the road.

The bridge over Wei is impressive not only in size, but also in the speed of construction. It took only three years to erect it – from 2005 to 2008. True, after the completion of the work, it stood for some time without operation, since it was necessary to build the rest of the railways. As a result, the first train passed through it only in 2010.

4th place: Changdei Viaduct, 105.81 km

Rating: 4.7

Changdei Viaduct is one of the largest and longest bridges in the world. Its total length is 105.81 km! Like the other super-long bridges in our ranking, it was specially designed for the high-speed rail linking Beijing and Shanghai.

One of the most interesting features of the Changdei Viaduct is that new technology was used during its construction to protect the structure from the destructive effects of earthquakes. He is able to withstand quite serious 'shocks' without significant damage. In addition, it will be of interest to tourists, since it looks completely different from the rest of the railway viaducts – also due to the seismically resistant structure.

The Beijing-Shanghai railway itself is also a kind of wonder of the world. It connects the largest cities in eastern China, and trains run along it at a speed of 350-380 kilometers per hour. And at the same time, they 'walk' every 3 minutes. A specially developed electronic system CTCS-3 is used for traffic control.

3rd place: Tianjin Viaduct, 113.7 km

Rating: 4.8

The Tianjin Viaduct is also part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed ​​Railway. True, unlike its predecessor, it was built in a seismically stable area. Therefore, it cannot boast of such beauty. But it is very long – the total length of the route passing over fields, several small rivers and even through cities is an impressive 113.7 km.

The Tianjin Viaduct can also be considered a tourist route. The fact is that it passes through an area where the 5 main tributaries of the Haihe River converge. It is also the closest super-long bridge to Beijing, so if you take the high-speed rail towards Shanghai, you will have to cross it anyway. Even if you plan to get off in Tianjin or Cangzhou.

The Tianjin Viaduct, despite its length, took only 3 years to build. This is due to the use of classic, proven technologies. Almost all bridges on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway are built on the same principle (except for Changdei). Tianjin began construction in 2008, finished in 2010, and commissioned in March 2011.

2nd place: Viaduct Changhua-Kaohsiung, 157.3 km

Rating: 4.9

The second longest bridge structure in the world, this viaduct is part of Taiwan's high-speed rail network. And it is very popular with locals and tourists alike. Already by December 2012 – five years after commissioning – 200 million people had crossed it.

The structure was built in a seismically hazardous area, therefore, it is equipped with a variety of technologies and solutions that minimize damage from earthquakes. During any 'shaking' the trains passing through it simply stop. In addition, sections of the route over known fault lines are capable of withstanding tectonic plate movements without catastrophic damage. As a consequence, only minor repairs are required after earthquakes.

The structure can also withstand significant operational loads. During peak periods, up to 140 trains are brought onto the line – that is, up to 8 trains pass every hour. It takes them a little over 30 minutes to cross the 157-kilometer structure – they drive so fast.

1st place: Danyang-Kunshan viaduct, 164.8 km

Rating: 5.0

The longest bridge construction in China, Asia and the world in general. It was launched in 2011, simultaneously with the opening of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, of which it is part. Since 2010, it has been included in the Guinness Book of Records – and so far no one has broken it (and even could not come close).

Most of the structure runs above the ground. The meaning of the whole structure is to ensure the uninterrupted movement of trains at high speeds. Only a 9-kilometer stretch passes over the water, and the structure crosses Yangcheng Lake. It is located on the last section of the railway, in the immediate vicinity of the city of Shanghai.

Construction of the road began in 2008. After a couple of years and an infusion of $ 8.5 to $ 10 billion (the exact figures were not disclosed, but this is still a government order), the construction ended. And in 2011 the road was put into operation. Unlike some other sites, it is located in a seismically stable area, so no special protection against earthquakes is provided or required.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.