11 Longest Bridges In Asia

Asia is host to a wealth of architectural marvels. And given that over four and a half billion people call this continent home, it is no surprise that a considerable amount of that craftsmanship and ingenuity has been funneled into effective transportation solutions. Since the turn of the millennium, a number of extraordinarily long bridges have been put in place, mainly in China, and particularly of the high-speed rail viaduct variety. These help residents bypass densely populated zones, troublesome terrain, or simply otherwise roundabout and time-consuming routes. Let's look a little closer at the eleven longest bridges in Asia. 

1. Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, China - 102.4 miles

The long-standing engineering prowess of China is on full display with the longest bridge not only in Asia but the entire world. Opened in June of 2011, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is a viaduct construction that is part of the Jinghu High-Speed Railway (aka the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway) in Eastern China. It spans a whopping 102.4 miles (164.8km), over canals, lakes, and plenty of metropolitan obstacles around the Yangtze River Delta, helping to connect the country's largest city, Shanghai, with Nanjing, another megacity to the West. Not only does this bridge possess a paradigm-shifting length, but it also averages 328 feet (100 meters) in height, with a maximum clearance of 492 feet (150 meters) in order to allow ships to pass under it in certain parts. 

2. Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct, Taiwan - 97.7 miles

Western Taiwan's Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct is a worthy competitor to all of China's mega-bridges. This 97.7-mile-long (157.3km) construction consists of a series of bridges that connect Baguashan in Changhua County with the district of Zuoying in Kaohsiung City. This stretch is a significant portion of Taiwan's High-Speed Railway. Since Taiwan sits right on top of the junction between two tectonic plates (the Philippine Sea and Eurasian Plates), this bridge was carefully designed to resist regular earthquakes – some of which register considerable magnitude. Thus far, the Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct has held strong since it opened in 2004.

3. Kita-Yaita Viaduct, Japan - 71.1 miles

Japan's 71.1-mile-long (114.4km) viaduct connects Kita City (which sits immediately North of Tokyo) to Yaita. This is a crucial first section of the Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed rail (aka "bullet train") that links the capital with the city of Aomori, which sits on the far North side of Honshu (i.e., the largest and most populous of Japan's four islands). This makes Tohoku the longest Shinkansen line in the country. Completed in 1982, the Kita-Yaita Viaduct is the oldest bridge on this list by nearly two decades. 

4. Tianjin Grand Bridge, China - 70.6 miles

Another juggernaut along China's Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway is the Tianjin Grand Bridge. Like the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, it finished construction in 2010 and opened the following year. While it comes short of its peer, 70.6 miles (113.7km) is still an outstanding spread. Reinforced box girders weighing hundreds of tons carry rail passengers from the Langfang prefecture, in the Hebei province (just South of Beijing), to Qingxian (or Qing County), also in the Hebei province. 

5. Cangde Grand Bridge, China - 65.8 miles

As if the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway was not already impressive enough, it features a third entry amongst Asia's (and the world's) top five longest bridges. The Cangde Grand Bridge is sometimes listed just ahead of the Tianjin Grand Bridge, but its length is more commonly cited as 65.8 miles (105.9km). But in either case, several enormous viaducts (still one more to come) were required to complete the public commute between China's capital city and the financial epicenter of Shanghai. Any one of these sections easily surpasses what has been put forward by the planet's bridge engineers to date, let alone the entirety of the conglomerate project. The Cangde Grand Bridge sits atop 3,092 piers, making it resilient against seismic activity.  

6. Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge, China - 49.5 miles

When China's Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge opened in 2008, it snatched the Guinness World Record for the world's longest bridge. Even though it has been outdone a handful of times since then, 49.5 miles (79.7km) is still quite staggering – over double the distance of anything in the West. The Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge is part of the Zhengzhou-Xi'an High-Speed Railway in the East-Central portion of the country. It serves as a vital cog in the colossal machine that shuttles passengers from the capital city of the Henan province, Zhengzhou, as far West as the capital city of the Shaanxi Province, Xi'an. 

7. Bang Na Expressway, Thailand - 33.6 miles

Thailand's Bang Na – Bang Phili – Bang Pakong Expressway holds the Guinness World Record for the longest road bridge. Unlike the high-speed rail bridges that exclusively preceded this entry, the Bang Na Expressway (as it is known for short), or the Burapha Withi Expressway (as it is formally referred to), is a six-lane elevated toll road. Its 33.5-mile (54km) length runs between the Bang Na and Chon Buro Interchanges and serves to alleviate the dense traffic of National Highway Route 34 (aka the Bang Na-Trat Highway) for the residents of Thailand's capital city, Bangkok. It opened on February 7th, 2000. 

8. Hong Kong Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, China - 30 miles

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is yet another world record holder. It shares the crown for the longest bridge over water with Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. Because of the categorical differences in construction, China's entry was given an "aggregate length" qualifier, while the U.S. bridge bears the "continuous" designation. This 34-mile (55km) structure transitions to a 4.3-mile-long (7km) tunnel en route. For this reason, the bridge is sometimes listed at its full, continuous length, which puts it ahead of Thailand's Bang Na Expressway, but it is formally recognized by Guinness World Records as being 30 miles (48.3km) – putting it just behind, and only a hair ahead of the next lengthy Chinese bridge. As the name suggests, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge connects these three major cities, crossing the Pearl River Delta and greatly reducing commute time in the process.

8. Beijing Grand Bridge, China - 30 miles

The bridge party once again circles back to the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. The main line of this immense system covers over 800 miles and includes some 20 bridges en route – four of which make the cut for the continent's top ten longest. The 29.9-mile-long (48.2km) Beijing Grand Bridge kicks things off as the train leaves Beijing South en route to Langfang in the Hebei Province. Along with serving its public transportation role, this bridge closes the gap between the Yangtze River Delta and the Bohai Economic Rim and facilitates the export of agricultural and natural resources.

10. Metro Manila Skyway System, Philippines - 24.4 miles

The only other bridge on this list that is not part of a high-speed railway (along with the Bang Na Expressway) belongs to the Metro Manila Skyway System. This 24.4-mile-long (39.2km) elevated toll road is found on the archipelago nation of the Philippines and connects the North and South Luzon Expressways. Along the way, it bypasses several major urban centers, including the capital city of Manila. The Skyway, as it is locally known, has been an unfolding project. Its first stage was opened in 1999, the second in 2011, and the third stage is still under construction. 

11. Wuhan Metro Bridge, China - 23.5 miles

Let us end back where it all began. The Chinese city of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei Province, hosts the final marathon bridge in this collection (well, technically, it's just shy of a marathon). Line 1 of the elevated Wuhan Metro covers 23.5 miles (38km) between the Huangpu Lu and Zhongguan stations, with 32 stops in between – making it the longest elevated metro line in the world. The Wuhan Metro was built in 2004 to ease traffic on the motorist bridges crossing the Yangtze River. At that time, it was the only metro line of its kind to operate in the Wuhan metropolis. 

The list of longest bridges in Asia overlaps almost identically with the longest bridges in the world. Conversely, the longest bridges in China constitute the majority of the continent's highlights. But regardless of where they were built, these eleven elevated engineering projects show the ability of humankind to adapt to an ever-changing, ever-expanding world. Now that we've analyzed the top contenders, let's unpack a broader list. 

The 25 Longest Bridges in Asia