Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge: All you need to know about the world’s longest bridge

Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge (Image: LinkedIn/ersumitraj)

China’s Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge, a staggering 164.8-kilometre-long viaduct, is the world’s longest bridge. Spanning the Yangtze River Delta between Shanghai and Nanjing, this engineering marvel has played a transformative role in the country’s high-speed rail revolution since its opening in 2011.

What is the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge?

Located in Jiangsu Province, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is a key segment of the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, one of the busiest and most advanced rail lines in the world. The bridge runs roughly parallel to the Yangtze River, connecting major cities like Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Kunshan. A 9-kilometre stretch even crosses Yangcheng Lake, supported by over 2,000 concrete pillars.

Recognized by Guinness World Records in 2011, it remains the longest bridge in the world in any category as of 2025.

Key Facts and Features

• Length: 164.8 km (102.4 miles)
• Opened: 2011
• Construction period: 2006 to 2010
• Built by: China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC)
• Cost: Approximately $8.5 billion USD
• Workforce: Over 10,000 engineers, workers, and technicians
• Materials used: Prestressed concrete with box-girder design

The bridge passes through a lowland region filled with rice paddies, canals, and lakes—making an elevated structure essential to minimize land disruption.

Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge (Image: Wikipedia)

Engineering Significance

The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge isn’t just long; it’s resilient. Designed to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 8, typhoons, and even collisions with ships up to 300,000 tonnes, it stands as a benchmark in large-scale infrastructure.

Its modular design—with pre-cast sections fabricated along multiple plants—helped speed up the massive construction process and ensured uniform quality across its entire span.

Impact on Travel and Infrastructure

The bridge is an integral part of China’s high-speed rail network. It allows trains to travel at speeds of up to 300 km/h, significantly reducing travel time between Beijing and Shanghai to under five hours.

By elevating the rail line, the bridge also protects agricultural land and waterways, using only 10.9 hectares of land compared to the 28.4 hectares a ground-level track would require.

Why It Still Matters in 2025

More than a decade since its inauguration, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge continues to symbolize China’s infrastructure ambitions. It is not only a logistical backbone but a model for efficient, future-proof engineering. The bridge represents the kind of forward-thinking planning that nations around the world now look to emulate for high-capacity transport corridors.

How to See It

Travelers can experience the bridge firsthand by taking the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, with views particularly striking as the train crosses Yangcheng Lake near Suzhou. Though access to the structure itself is restricted, the journey offers a glimpse of this modern marvel in action.