We have completed maintenance on DiscoverMagazine.com and action may be required on your account. Learn More

A Bridge Too Far—or Just Impressively Far

A new bridge in China spans the length of a marathon, entirely over water.

By Lauren Hilgers
Nov 24, 2011 6:00 AMNov 12, 2019 4:27 AM
bridge.jpg
Wikimedia Commons | NULL

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge in northeast China can handle 30,000 cars a day, but on a Thursday morning earlier this year the six-lane road was impassable: Too many motorists were stopping to pose for pictures. Gawker gridlock is commonplace at the world’s longest bridge over water, a 26.4-mile thoroughfare that outspans the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana by more than two miles. (China is also home to the longest bridge system of all: the 102-mile Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, which spans land and water.) The arced bridge, which opened in June, cost an estimated $2.3 billion and required enough steel to build seven Empire State Buildings. Ten thousand workers reportedly labored around the clock to finish the project in four years, starting on either side of Jiaozhou Bay and meeting in the middle. No word yet on when the bridge will host its first marathon.

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.