10 Longest Bridges in the United States

Bridges are a feat of engineering and a symbol of mankind’s progress. They are a source of pride for the people. The United States has some of the largest bridges in the world, each being an achievement on its own. Do you know the longest bridges in the USA? Read on to find out the 10 Longest bridges in the USA

1. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway- (Length- 24 miles (38.5 km))
Location: Louisiana

The causeway joins Metairie and Mandeville suburbs in Louisiana. It is built over Lake Pontchartrain. This bridge was completed in 1969 and held the title of the longest bridge over water until 2011. After that, the Guinness Book of Records changed its category to “longest continuous bridge over water”. Made up of two parallel lanes, which are supported by a total of 9,500 concrete pillars. The causeway is 23.8 Miles in length. The bridge maintenance is funded by toll.

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Lake Pontchartrain Causeway From Three Lakeway Center

Image Source: Wikimedia

2. Manchac Swamp Bridge- (Length- 23 miles)
Location: Louisiana

The Manchac Swamp Bridge is the longest bridge on the Interstate Highway System. Legends about the bridge say it’s haunted by a Cajun werewolf. The bridge is built over the Manchac Swamp, as such the piles of the bridge had to be driven deep in the ground, about 250 feet! It cost $7 million then, to build one mile only. Nevertheless, you can’t say it’s not a good investment, because you can’t swim across a swamp with crocodiles lurking beneath.

Also Read: Top 10 Tallest Buildings In The World 2024

Image Source: Wikimedia

3. Atchafalaya Basin Bridge- (Length- 29km)
Location: Louisiana

This bridge is also called Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge, after the 82nd Airborne Division. It connects Baton Rouge and Lafayette and is a part of interstate 10. Built over the Atchafalaya basin it is the third-longest bridge in the US and the second-longest on the Interstate system. Having a length of 18.2 miles or 96,100 feet, it consists of two bridges that run parallelly for the most part. It carries traffic over the sparsely populated area of the Atchafalaya Basin. You are sure to fall in love with the scenery while driving over the bridge.

Also Read: Top 10 Longest Bridges In India By Total Distance

Image Source: Wikimedia

4. Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel- (Length-17.6 miles (28.4 km))
Location: Virginia

This 17.6 mile-long bridge-tunnel connects Northampton County with Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth. The most unique feature of the bridge is that it doesn’t always run over the water. It goes underwater two times. It vanishes under the water at man-made islands and re-emerges again at man-made islands, connected underneath by mile-long tunnels. This was done to provide unconditional access to the ocean to the US Naval base which would have been cut off, if the bridge was built over water, and had collapsed.

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Image Source: Wikimedia

5. Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge- (Length-11 miles (17 km))
Location: Louisiana

Having a length of 58,077 feet or 10.9 Miles, this bridge is a part of the Louisiana Interstate 10 highway. Built across the Bonnet Carre Spillway and Lake Pontchartrain, it has two parallel concrete trestle bridges. The Bonnet Carre Spillway is itself a tourist hotspot. People come here to camp, hike, boat, hunt, and fish.

There’s also a wildlife management area here that gives glimpses of the fauna of this region. This four-lane bridge was originally a single span, having four lanes, which caused a lot of congestion and traffic accidents. The parallel span was completed and opened in 1984 to resolve this issue.

Also Read: Top 10 Best National Parks In The USA

Image Source: Wikimedia

6. Louisiana Highway 1 Bridge- (Length- 8.26 miles (13.3km))
Location: Louisiana

It is also called the Gateway to the Gulf Expressway because it leads directly to the Gulf of Mexico. Spanning across the Bayou Lafourche and marshes of Louisiana, it connects Leeville to Port Fourchon. It is expected to expand in the north towards Golden Meadow. The construction of the bridge is a concrete trestle and it supports two lanes. The length of the bridge is 43,600 feet and it carries the Louisiana Highway 1. Driving on the bridge you can see the serene waters on either side and people fishing.

Image Source: Wikimedia

7. Jubilee Parkway- (Length- 8 miles (12.9km))
Location: Alabama

The Jubilee Parkway connects Blakely Island to Daphne in Alabama. The construction is twin parallel concrete viaducts, each having two lanes. The bridge spans a length of 7.5 miles (or 12.1 kilometres) across Mobile Bay. It also has an interchange in between, with the Battleship Parkway which runs almost parallelly to this one. It is named after the ‘Jubilee’ phenomenon, in which many crabs, shrimps, eels and fish come to the shallow coastal area of Mobile Bay. This event draws many people here as it provides easy-to-catch seafood opportunities. The Jubilee Parkway was completed and opened in 1978 and it carries the Interstate 10 highway. It is one of the longest bridges in the USA.

Image Source: Wikimedia

8. San Mateo-Hayward Bridge- (Length- 7 miles (11 km))
Location: San Francisco

The San Mateo Hayward bridge connects the San Francisco peninsula with the East Bay. the bridge spans a total length of 36,960 feet (or 11,270 meters) across San Francisco Bay. The bridge structure is a steel box girder with concrete trestle approach spans. It was completed and opened in 1967 and has gone many upgrades since then. In 1997, seismic retrofitting work was done on the bridge to make it earthquake-proof. It has six lanes now and carries State Route 92.

Image Source: Wikimedia

9. Seven Mile Bridge- (Length- 6.7 miles (10.8 km))
Location: Florida

The length of this bridge is, well, seven miles or 6.79 miles, to be exact. Located in Monroe County in Florida, it connects Knight’s key to the Little Duck Key. Built across the Moser channel, it was completed and opened in 1982. It carries the overseas highway in the Keys which is also a part of the US Route one. The bridge also hosts the Seven-Mile Bridge Run each April that commemorates the “Florida Keys” project.

Image Source: Wikimedia

10. General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge- (Length- 6 miles (10 km))
Location: Alabama

One of the Longest Bridges in the USA built across the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, this bridge covers a distance of 6.08 Miles over the delta. This bridge derives its name from General Walter K. Wilson, Chief of engineers in the USA army, who lived in Mobile. The bridge’s structure has two parallel tied through arch and beam viaducts. It is also locally called the ‘Dolly Parton Bridge’ due to its shape (look it up). The construction of the bridge was completed in 1978. it carries Interstate 65 and has four lanes. Having a 125 feet clearance below, you can enjoy the wonderful delta scenery while driving across it. A view from the top on a foggy morning is sure to mesmerize you.