Akashi-Kaikyo,
Kobe-Naruto, Japan
Year
completed: 1998
Span:
1,991 meters (6,529 feet)
The
king of suspension bridges is more than a thousand meters (or 23%) longer than
runner-up Great Belt Bridge of Denmark. The bridge replaced ferries that
traveled between Kobe and Iwaya. The width of Akashi
Strait,
an international shipping lane, made it necessary for the Akashi-Kaikyo be at
least 1,500 meters wide.
Great
Belt, Korsor, Denmark
Year
completed: 1998
Span:
1,624 meters (5,328 feet)
After
100 years, ferry service between the islands of Zealand and Funen were finally
rendered obsolete in 1998. The largest construction project in Denmark's
history, the Great Belt has reduced an arduous
ferry journey to
a 10-minute drive.
Runyang
South, China
Year
completed: 2005
Span:
1,490 meters (4,888 feet)
The
central structure of a wider bridge and road complex, the Runyang South Bridge
crosses the Yangtze
Riverin
Jiangsu Province. It was completed in just five years, half the time that it
took to build Japan's Akashi-Kaikyo.
Humber
Bridge, Kingston-Upon-Hull, U.K.
Year
completed: 1981
Span:
1,410 meters (4,626 feet)
The
Humber Bridge spans the Humber
estuary formed
by the Trent and Ouse
rivers.
The Humber stood as theworld's
largest bridge for
17 years, until the completion of the Great Belt in Denmark.
Jiangyin,
Jiangyin, China
Year
completed: 1999
Span:
1,385 meters (4,543 feet)
The
Jiangyin Bridge crosses the Yangtze River to connect Jiangyin and
Jingjiang. Originally, completion was expected to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the Chinese Revolution in 1997. It missed by two years, but still
gave the country its largest bridge from 1999 to 2005, until the Runyang South
surpassed it.
Tsing
Ma, Hong Kong, China
Year
completed: 1997
Span:
1,377 meters (4,518 feet)
The
Tsing Ma Bridge was named after Hong Kong Islands Tsing
Yi and Ma
Wan.
Its main claim to fame is carrying the longest span of rail traffic in the
world. The bridge also has five lanes for trucks and cars, two of which are
reserved for emergencies.
Verrazano-Narrows,
New York City, U.S.
Year
completed: 1964
Span:
1,298 meters (4,260 feet)
The
majestic Verrazano-Narrows Bridge spans the opening to New York's harbor,
connecting Staten Island to Brooklyn. It's the main thoroughfare for truckers
leaving New York to carry goods to New Jersey and down the East Coast. The
Verrazano held the top spot for 17 years, until the Humber Bridge was completed
in the U.K. in 1981.
Golden
Gate, San Francisco, U.S.
Year
completed: 1937
Span:
1,280 meters (4,200 feet)
The
Golden Gate Bridge, which achieved longest-span fame seven decades ago, still
holds up as one of the world's 10 largest. As the gateway to west coast cities
San Francisco and Oakland, the bridge is still noted as one of the most
picturesque in the world.
Högakustenbron,
Kramfors, Sweden
Year
completed: 1997
Span:
1,210 meters (3,970 feet)
The
Högakustenbron (which means "high coast bridge") spans the Angermanalven
River,
located about 600 kilometers north of Stockholm. The bridge was modeled after
the Golden Gate Bridge.
Mackinac,
Mackinaw City, Mich., U.S.
Year completed: 1957
Span: 1,158 meters (3,800 feet)
The
Mackinac Bridge, better known as the "Big Mac," spans the Straits
of Mackinac to
connect Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, a big part of Rust Belt goods
transportation. It was developed by famous bridge designer David B.
Steinman.
Sources:
Laboratory of Bridge Engineering, the Swedish Institute of Steel Construction
and the American Institute of Steel Construction.
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