19 Record-Breaking Bridges Around The World

Bridging the gap

Stretching over mountainous valleys, huge bodies of water and packs of ice, the landscapes that bridges encompass have seen plenty become tourist attractions in their own right. They're more than convenient crossings, with marvellous engineering scoring many Guinness World Records. From the oldest to the tallest and shortest to the widest, they're all here.

Click or scroll on to see the world's record-breaking bridges...

World's tallest bridge: Millau Viaduct, France

At 1,125 feet high, the Millau Viaduct reigns supreme as the world's tallest bridge. This thin, sleek roadway is 8,070 feet (2,460m) long and links Clermont-Ferrand with Béziers and Narbonne in southeastern France.

At one end is a viewpoint where you can take in panoramic views of the viaduct and the surrounding Tarn valley landscape below.

Europe’s oldest covered bridge: Kapellbrücke, Lucerne, Switzerland

Kapellbrücke, or Chapel Bridge, is a pedestrian walkway that crosses the River Reuss in Lucerne. This striking landmark dates back more than 650 years and also flanks Lake Lucerne.

It tragically caught fire in 1993 so while large parts of it had to be rebuilt, it’s still considered the oldest covered bridge in Europe. 

World’s shortest bridge: Somerset Bridge, Bermuda

Somerset Bridge is technically a drawbridge but it doesn’t actually raise and close – there’s just a loose plank of wood covering the gap. At just 22 inches wide, this top Bermudan attraction is the world’s shortest bridge linking the southern tip of Somerset Island to Sandys Parish on the main island.

When it opened in 1620, the seconds-long crossing saved residents a three-hour trip. It’s not to be confused with the world’s shortest international bridge, the Portugal-Spain bridge, which at 10.4 feet long connects the two countries in a few short steps.

World's largest brick-built bridge: Göltzsch Viaduct, Germany

Built between 1846-1851, the Göltzsch Viaduct still reigns supreme as the world’s largest brick-built bridge. It stands at 256 feet tall and 1,883 feet long.

Workers used over 26 million bricks and during construction discovered that the ground wasn’t as firm as first thought, hence the wider, central arch (for better support).

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USA's tallest bridge: Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado, USA

When Colorado’s Royal Gorge Bridge opened in 1929 it held the title of the highest bridge in the world for over 70 years. It’s since lost that honour but remains the highest bridge in the USA at an incredible 955 feet above the Arkansas River.

World’s oldest bridge: Arkadiko Bridge, the Peloponnese, Greece

This easy-to-miss structure crosses a small gully in Greece’s southerly peninsula and was built by the Ancient Greeks sometime between 1300 and 1190 BC. Made up of limestone boulders, stones and tiles, the 72-foot-long bridge is thought to have been built to carry horse-drawn chariots.

You can still walk across it today, making it the oldest still-in-use bridge in the world.

World's longest suspension footbridge: Sky Bridge 721, Dolní Morava, Czech Republic

The Sky Bridge 721 became the longest suspension footbridge in the world in May 2022. Stretching 311 feet over the valley of the Mlýnský Stream for 2,365 feet (721m, like its name suggests) visitors can take a chairlift to the entrance, or walk or cycle the 2.5-mile 0trail. There’s even an interactive game integrating the area's history. 

World's longest glass-bottomed bridge: Bach Long Bridge, Son La, Vietnam

In northwestern Vietnam lies the world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge. Up to 450 visitors at a time can walk across this 2,073-foot-long walkway which is suspended 282 feet  above the ground.

And great heights mean even greater views: marvel at the surrounding mountainous rainforest but, if you’re faint-hearted, don’t look down.

World’s longest covered bridge: Hartland Covered Bridge, New Brunswick, Canada

Supported by huge concrete pillars, Hartland Covered Bridge opened in 1901 but was initially considered controversial as it was also known as a ‘kissing bridge’ for young couples. At 1,279 feet long, the world’s longest covered bridge is now a tourist attraction with a one-way system in place for vehicles and an added pedestrian walkway.

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World’s busiest motor vehicle bridge: George Washington Bridge, New York, USA

Carrying over 100 million vehicles per year, the George Washington Bridge is the world’s busiest motor vehicle bridge. Connecting New York City with New Jersey, it opened to traffic in 1931 and was expanded in 1962.

There are 14 lanes of traffic spread over two levels along with two walkways for pedestrians and cyclists on each side of the upper level.

See the most impressive bridge in every US state

World’s widest bridge: Tahya Misr, Cairo, Egypt

The Guinness World Book of Records lists Egypt’s Tahya Masr (‘Long Live Egypt’) as the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world (and thrillingly explains the difference from a suspension bridge). The traffic-easing bridge opened in 2019 and nabbed the top spot from Canada’s 213-foot-wide Port Mann Bridge with a width of 221 feet.

World’s longest bridge: Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, China

The world’s longest bridge – in any category – is Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge. The mega-bridge connects the two eastern Chinese cities of Shanghai and Nanjing, spans 102 miles and is around 100 feet high.

It took some 10,000 workers four years to build and opened in 2011, with top rail speeds averaging 51 miles per hour.

Germany's oldest stone bridge: Old Stone Bridge, Regensburg, Germany

This medieval relic in eastern Bavaria connects the UNESCO-listed Regensburg city with the historic island of Stadtamhof. The Old Stone Bridge (or Steinerne Brücke) crosses the River Danube and was constructed during a particularly prosperous era.

Although the bridge had to be repaired after World War II, today the 1,017-foot walkway is hailed as the oldest stone arch bridge in the country. 

World’s longest floating bridge: Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Seattle, Washington, USA

Supported by 77 pontoons – 21 of which are each longer than a football field – Medina’s Evergreen Point Floating Bridge is the longest of its kind in the world. It’s a replacement of the previous one adjacent to it – thankfully for drivers, this new one was built sturdier and wider.

Some 74,000 vehicles make the 7,710-foot crossing over Lake Washington every day and could even accommodate light rail in the future. 

Australia’s oldest (and spookiest) stone arch bridge: Richmond Bridge, Tasmania, Australia

While the oldest surviving stone arch bridge in Australia may not sound like much, it has another, eerier accolade. Completed in 1825 by nearby Richmond Gaul prisoners, the 135-foot-long bridge is supposedly haunted by the ghost of former convict George Grover.

As you cross, keep an eye out for him peering out from the structure. Ghost stories aside, very few repairs have been carried out in its 200-year history.

Longest ice bridge: Confederation Bridge, Canada

The hardy Confederation Bridge was designed to withstand the harsh winters and high winds of Canada's Northumberland Strait, with special ice-shields protecting the support piers from the pack ice that flows through the Strait every winter. Connecting Borden-Carlton on Prince Edward Island with Cape Jourimain in New Brunswick, at 42,322 feet long it’s the world’s longest ice bridge – plus it’s done wonders for tourism.

See how we've ranked Canada's most beautiful bridges

World’s steepest bridge: Eshima Ohashi, Tottori, Japan

OK, it’s not officially listed anywhere as the world’s steepest bridge, but we reckon Eshima Ohashi Bridge would take the title. Its highest point reaches nearly 148 feet and also has a less attractive-sounding record as Japan’s largest concrete-made girder bridge.

Drive, walk or cycle over the roller coaster-like bridge and take in the awesome views of Lake Nakaumi from the top.

World’s longest road bridge: Bang Na expressway, Bangkok, Thailand

According to the Guinness World Records, Thailand’s Bang Na expressway is the longest road bridge in the world at 177,165 feet long. With three lanes running in each direction, the six-lane elevated highway crosses part of the Bang Pakong River in the southeastern suburbs of Bangkok. 

World’s longest sea-crossing bridge: Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, China

The world’s longest sea-crossing bridge is nothing short of impressive. Unveiled in 2018, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge stretches an eye-watering 180,446 feet between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau. Over 98,000 feet of the bridge crosses the Pearl River delta along with an undersea tunnel to allow ships through.

It’s heavily reduced the previous four-hour-long trip to half an hour but you’ll need a special permit to cross and there aren’t any public transport links. It’s also the world’s most expensive bridge.

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