The world is full of amazing infrastructure projects, from incredible bridges to the tallest skyscrapers. Some regions are more famous than others for their rapid development, think countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia or Dubai.
Another nation that’s known for its jaw-dropping infrastructure is China, and that’s where the world’s longest bridge can be found. The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is officially the longest bridge on Earth, stretching a massive 164.8 kilometres (102.4 miles) across China’s Jiangsu province.
It’s part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway and has held the Guinness World Record since it was officially recognised in 2011.
The bridge links two major cities, Danyang and Kunshan, and passes through several others along the way, including Changzhou, Wuxi, and Suzhou.
A key section of the structure is a nine-kilometre stretch across Yangcheng Lake, supported by more than 2,000 pillars.
According to LiveScience, construction of the bridge took just four years and involved 10,000 workers.
It was completed in 2010 and opened to the public in June 2011. The total cost of the project was about $8.5 billion, which is roughly £6.2 billion.
Most of the bridge runs across flat lowlands, including rice paddies, rivers, canals and lakes that form part of the Yangtze River Delta.
It sits between five and 50 miles south of the Yangtze River, following its course at a distance.
The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge averages about 31 metres (100 feet) off the ground and was built as a viaduct – a type of bridge made up of many short spans supported by columns.
The project was led by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a government-backed engineering firm responsible for many of China’s biggest highways, tunnels, ports and railways.
CRBC is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company, and originally operated as part of the country’s Ministry of Communications.
The bridge plays a vital role in China’s high-speed rail network, helping connect Beijing and Shanghai through one of the busiest regions in the country.
Its scale, speed of construction and cost make it one of the most impressive engineering achievements in modern history.
Another incredible bridge is the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, which is the world’s tallest.