World's Extreme Bridges

These bridges gave honor to the people who designed and built them and likewise brought prestige and honor to the country where these structures are located.

1. Zohar Bridge: Dead Sea, Israel

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World’s Lowest Bridge

The Zohar Bridge or Gesher Zohar in Israel is the Earth’s lowest bridge in terms of sea level. This bridge is situated 40 meters high above the river bed and it has maximum span of 52 meters.

2. Novy Most: Bratislava, Slovakia

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World’s Longest Cable-stayed Bridge with One Pylon and with One Cable-stayed Plane

Novy Most or New Bridge is situated over the Danube River in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge in category with one pylon and with one cable-stayed plane. It is the only bridge in the world of that type to be a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

3. Goltzschtalbrucke: Germany

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World’s Largest Brick Bridge

This railway bridge is also known as Goltzsch Valley Bridge which is the world’s largest brick bridge is 574 meters long. It was built between 1846 and 1851 using more than 26 million bricks. It was also the highest railway bridge in the world when it was completed.

4. Ikitsuki Bridge: Nagasaki, Japan

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World’s Longest Continuous Truss Bridge Span

Ikitsuki Bridge which connects Ikitsuki to Hirado Island has a main span of 400 meters or 1312 ft. It opened in 1991

5. Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge: Massachusetts, USA

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World’s Widest Cable-stayed Bridge

The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge across the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts carries four lanes each northbound and southbound making it the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It was completed in 2003. It is also commonly referred to as the Zakim Bridge and as the Bunker Hill Bridge.

6. Union Bridge: United Kingdom

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World’s Oldest Suspension Bridge Still in Use Today

This very durable suspended-deck suspension bridge which is also known as Union Chain Bridge spans the River Tweed in Scotland., UK. It was the world’s longest wrought iron suspension bridge when it opened in 1820 with a span of 137 meters or 449 ft. It is also the first vehicular bridge of its type in the UK. Today, it is the oldest suspension bridge still carrying road traffic.

7. Tacoma Narrows Bridge: Washington, USA

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World’s Longest Twin Suspension Bridge Spans

These pair of mile-long suspension bridges in Washington, USA carries State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula.

8. George Washington Bridge: New York, USA

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Suspension Bridge with the Most Lanes of Traffic

This impressive suspension bridge which is also known informally as the GW Bridge, the GWB, the GW or the George that spans the Hudson River is considered one of the busiest bridges in the world in terms of vehicle traffic. In 2007, the bridge carried 107,912,000 vehicles. It contains two levels — an upper level with four lanes in each direction and a lower level with three lanes in each direction, for a total of 14 lanes of travel. As of 2007, the George Washington Bridge has the greatest capacity of any bridge in the world.

9. Sky Bridge: British Columbia, Canada

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World’s Longest Cable-supported Transit-only Bridge

This cable-stayed bridge in British Columbia, Canada known as the Skybridge has two 123 meters or 404 ft tall towers and was built in 1989. It spans the Fraser River and connects New Westminster with Surrey. This bridge does not carry automotive vehicles but has two tracks enabling the TransLink SkyTrain to pass either way on the bridge. The Skybridge main span is 340 meters or 1,115 ft and has a total length of 616 m or 2,020 ft, making it the world’s longest cable-supported transit-only bridge.

10. Sunshine Sky Bridge: Florida, USA

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World’s Longest Bridge with a Cable-stayed Main Span

This stunning cable-stayed bridge located in Tampa Bay in Florida, USA has a length of 29,040 ft or 8.85 km. It was completed and opened in 1987 with a total cost of $244 million.

An additional list of bridges that gave honor to the people who designed and built them and likewise brought prestige and honor to the country where these structures are located.

11. Bloukrans Bridge: Western Cape, South Africa

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World’s Highest Single Span Arch Bridge

This astounding arch bridge which is located near Nature’s Valley in Western Cape, South Africa was completed in 1984. At 216 meters, it is the site of the 3rd highest commercially operated bungee jump. It has a total height of 216 meters above the Bloukrans River, making it the world’s highest single span arch bridge with a central span of 272 meters. Bloukrans Bridge has a length of 451 meters.

12. Si Du River Bridge: Hubei, China

World’s Highest Bridge

This suspension bridge with a length of 4,010 foot or 1,222 meters was completed in 2008 but has not yet opened to traffic. The bridge cost US$100 million. It crosses a 500-meter or 1,600 ft deep valley and is now regarded as the highest bridge in the world superseding the Royal Gorge Bridge and the Balinghe Bridge.

13. Mala Rijeka Viaduct: Podgorica, Montenegro

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World’s Tallest Railway Viaduct

The Mala Rijeka Viaduct of Montenegro was completed in 1973. This spectacular bridge is the world’s tallest railway viaduct with a height of 200 meters or 660 ft high above Mala Rijeka – Little River. It has a length of 498.8 meters or equivalent to 1,636 ft. This structure is made of 36,000 cu m of concrete and 100,000 tons of steel.

14. Surgut Bridge: Siberia, Russia

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World’s Longest One-tower Cable-stayed Bridge

The Surgut Bridge is located in Russia across the Ob River in Siberia has a length of 2,110 meters or 6,923 ft and has only one tower. Its central span of 408 meters or 1,339 ft is the longest for single-tower cable-stayed bridge. It opened in 2000.

15. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Crossing: Dubai, UAE

World’s Longest Arch Bridge by 2012

This impressive bridge is also known as Sixth Crossing, a future bridge in Dubai, UAE. It is expected to be completed in 2012 and will become the world’s longest arch bridge with a length of 1.6 km or 0.99 mile. The bridge will be 64 meters or 210 ft wide and with a height of 15 meters or 49 ft above the water. It will have six lanes of traffic in each direction and will be able to carry 20,000 vehicles per hour.

16. Sunda Strait Bridge

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Longest Suspension Bridge upon Completion

This bridge will connect Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. This project has been approved by the Indonesian government and upon its completion it will be the longest suspension bridge in the world. It will be 26 km long, and will also have a main span of about 3,000 m or 9,800 ft - roughly fifty percent longer than the current record.

17. Hartland Bridge: New Brunswick, Canada

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World’s Longest Covered Bridge

At 391 meters or 1,282 ft long, the Hartland Bridge is the longest covered bridge in the world. It is located over the Saint John River in Hartland, New Brunswick. The bridge was built in 1901 and was not originally built covered

18. Tokyo Bay Aqua Line: Tokyo, Japan

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World’s Longest Bridge- Tunnel for Cars

This bridge is also known as the Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway, a bridge-tunnel combination over Tokyo Bay connects the city of Kawasaki and Kanagawa Prefecture. It has an overall length of 14 km - 4.4 km bridge plus 9.6 km tunnel underneath the bay. It is the world’s longest underwater tunnel for cars.

19. San Francisco – Oakland Bridge: California, USA

World’s Longest Self-anchored Suspension Bridge by 2013

The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge which is also commonly known as the Bay Bridge is a complex of toll bridges in California, USA. This spectacular bridge carries approximately 270,000 vehicles per day on its two decks. It also has one of the longest spans in the world.

By year 2013, this will be the largest self-anchored suspension bridge ever constructed. With one tower, it will have two asymmetric spans of 180 and 385 meters.

20. Kinsol Trestle: British Columbia, Canada

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Highest Wooden Railway Trestle in the World

In our present time where almost every structure is made of steel, is it unusual to see structures made of wood? One of the few structures made of wood is the Kinsol Trestle, a wooden railway trestle in Canada. It provides a spectacular crossing of the Koksilah River. This structure which is also known as the Koksilah River Trestle was completed in 1920. Its dimensions measure 44 m or 145 ft high and 188 m or 614 ft long, making it the largest wooden trestle in the Commonwealth and one of the highest railway trestles in the world.

For more extreme bridges see

The World’s 20 Most Remarkable Bridges: Architectural and Engineering Feats

15 World’s Most Notable Bridges: Architectural and Engineering Feats

See also

Spectacular and Uniquely-designed Bridges From Around the World

The World’s Most Colorful Bridges