highest bridges list

Highest Bridges in the World 🌉

Highest Bridges in the World List 2024 🌉

The height of the bridges in ADDucation’s highest bridges list is measured from the deck of the bridge (which carries road, rail, transport etc.) down to the ground or water level beneath the bridge. The height of the bridge structure itself is not taken into account for this list of bridges. Currently* the highest bridge in the world is the Beipanjiang river Duge bridge, in southwestern China, which is 1854 feet (565m) high and opened to traffic in December 2016.

Types of Highest Bridges 🌉 🔽

Highest Bridges Types

  • Suspension bridges: A pair of main suspension cables are stretched over two towers and firmly anchored into the ground. Smaller vertical suspender cables are attached to the main cables to support the deck below. Suitable for longer spans across rivers. Expensive to build.
  • Cable-stayed bridges: There are two main types:
    • Fan type: Efficient
    • Harp or parallel type: More space for fixings

    The deck is supported by cables anchored to towers. The downwards load on the bridge means the cables are under constant tension and the load is transferred to downwards force on the towers. Ideal for medium spans where stiffness is required. Does not need large ground anchors and cheaper to construct than suspension bridges.

  • Beam bridges: Vertical piers and horizontal beams. Simple to build but only suitable for short short spans, additional piers can be added for longer crossings.
  • Arch bridges: Relies on the load being transferred down through the arch and resisted by abutments at the base of the arch to prevent the arch spreading under compression. Limited span length but additional arches can be added for longer spans.

For more information about bridges in general visit Explain that Stuff.

Key: Bridge span = Longest span between two pillars. Bridge length = Total length including all pillars. Bridge height = From deck of bridge to ground/water level under bridge. ADDucation Tips: Click column headings with arrows to sort highest bridges. Reload page for original sort order. Resize your browser to full screen and/or zoom out to display as many columns as possible. Click the ➕ icon to reveal any hidden columns. Start typing in the Filter table box to find key facts inside the table of the highest bridges on Earth.
Highest Bridges in the World 🌉 Height (m) Height (feet) Locality Country Bridge Type Trivia Main Span (m) Main Span (feet) Opened #
Duge Bridge Beipanjiang
565 1854 Dugexiang, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Cable-stayed bridge Highest bridge in the world. 720 2362 2016 1
Siduhe Bridge (Sidu River Bridge) 496 1627 Yesanguanzhen, Hubei. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge World’s highest suspension bridge. 900 2952 2009 2
Puli Bridge 485 1591 Pulixiang, Yunnan. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Road bridge over Puli river. 628 2060 2015 3
Yachi River Bridge 440 1444 Daguanzhen, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Road bridge over Wu river. 800 2625 2016 4
Qingshuihe River Bridge 406 1332 Weng’an, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Also one of the world’s longest bridges. 1130 3707 2016 5
Hegigio Gorge Pipeline Bridge 393 1289 Otoma, Southern Highlands. 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea Suspension bridge World’s highest bridge outside China. Highest pipeline bridge. 470 1542 2005 6
Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge (Puente Baluarte Bicentenario) 390 1280 El Palmito, Sinaloa. 🇲🇽 Mexico Cable-stayed bridge Highest bridge in the Americas. 520 1706 2013 7
Liuguanghe Bridge Xiqian 375 1230 Liutongxiang, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Road bridge over Wu river. 580 1903 2016 8
Balinghe Bridge (Baling River Bridge) 370 1214 Guanling, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Road bridge G60 1088 3570 2009 9
Beipanjiang Bridge Guanxing (Beipan River bridge) 366 1200 Xingbeizhen, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Road bridge for Guanxing Highway. 388 1273 2003 10
Dimuhe Bridge 360 1181 Liupanshui, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge G56 road bridge over Wu river. 538 1765 2016 11
Liuchonghe Bridge (Liuchong River Bridge) 340 1115 Zhilin, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Cable-stayed bridge 555 road bridge over Liuchong river. 438 1437 2013 12
Aizhai Bridge 336 1102 Jishou, Hunan. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge G65 road bridge at Dehang Grand Canyon. 1176 3858 2012 13
Lishui River Bridge
330 1083 Zhangjiajie, Hunan. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge S10 Zhanghua Expy road bridge. 856 2808 2013 14
Beipanjiang Bridge Hukun Expressway
318 1043 Qinglong, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge G60 road bridge. 636 2087 2009 15
Najiehe Railway Bridge 310 1017 Liuchangxiang, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge Railway bridge over Wu river. 352 1155 2016 16
Pingtang Bridge 305 1001 Pingtang, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Cable-stayed bridge Second tallest bridge in the world Dec 2019* 550 1800 2019 17
Liuguanghe Bridge 297 975 Liu Guangzhen, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Beam bridge Highest beam bridge in the world. 240 787 2001 18
Beipanjiang Railway Bridge
295 968 Qinglong, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge Railway bridge over Beipan river. 445 1460 2016 19
Zhijinghe Bridge 294 965 Dazhipingzhen, Hubei. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge G50 road bridge. 430 1411 2009 20
Longjiang Bridge 292 958 Wuhexiang, Yunnan. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge S10 road bridge over Long river. 1196 3924 2016 21
Royal Gorge Bridge 291 955 Cañon City, Colorado. 🇺🇸 USA Suspension bridge Highest bridge in the USA and one of the highest bridges outside China. 286 938 1929 22
Xixihe Bridge Qianda 288 945 Honglinxiang, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Beam bridge S82 road bridge over Xixi river. 190 620 2015 23
Luding Yaye Expressway Bridge 285 935 Luding County, Sichuan 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Road bridge over the Dadu river 1100 3600 2018 24
Sunxi River Bridge 280 920 Bailinzhen, Chongqing 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge Road bridge over Sunxi river. 660 2170 2018 25
Millau Viaduct (Viaduc Millau) the 277 909 Millau, Midi-Pyrénées. 🇫🇷 France Cable-stayed bridge Tallest bridge in the world. 342 1122 2004 26
Beipanjiang Railway Bridge Shuibai 275 902 Fa’er Bouyei, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge World’s highest railway bridge. 235 771 2001 27
Yachi Railway Bridge 272 892 Qianxi County, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge Carries the Chengdu–Guiyang high-speed railway. 436 1430 2019 28
Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tilman Memorial Bridge (Colorado River Bridge, Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge). 271 890 Boulder City, Nevada. 🇺🇸 USA Arch bridge World’s highest concrete arch bridge. One of the highest bridges outside China. 323 1060 2010 29
New River Gorge Bridge 267 876 Fayetteville, West Virginia. 🇺🇸 USA Arch bridge One of the highest bridges outside China. Listed in USA national register of historic places. 518 1700 1977 30
Lianghekou Dam Bridge 265 869 Yajiang County, Sichuan. 🇨🇳 China Beam bridge Road bridge over the Yalong river. 220 720 2019 31
Zongxihe Bridge 264 866 Weixinzhen, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge Road bridge over Liuchong river. 360 1181 2015 32
Wulingshan Bridge 263 863 Pengshui, Chongqing. 🇨🇳 China Cable-stayed bridge Road bridge over Houzao river. 360 1181 2009 33
Nanpan River Qiubei Bridge 262 860 Qiubei, Yunnan. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge Railway bridge. 416 1365 2016 34
Gongshuihe Bridge (Zhongjianhe Bridge during construction)
260 850 Xuan’en County, Hubei. 🇨🇳 China Cable-stayed bridge Road bridge over Niucao river. 400 1300 2015 35
Wujiang Bridge Yuqing 260 850 Goupitanzhen, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Cable-stayed bridge Road bridge over Wu river. 360 1180 2016 36
Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Footbridge 260 853 Sanguansixiang, Hunan. 🇨🇳 China Suspension bridge The world’s highest footbridge. Glass-bottomed. 430 1411 2016 37
Italia Viaduct (Viadotto Italia) 259 850 Laino Borgo, Calabria. 🇮🇹 Italy Beam bridge Highest bridge in Italy. One of the highest bridges outside China. 175 574 1974 38
Jiangjiehe Bridge 256 840 Weng’an, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge Road bridge over Wu river. 330 1080 1995 39
Xixihe Railway Bridge 256 840 Dafang County, Guizhou. 🇨🇳 China Arch bridge Railway bridge over Xixi river. 240 790 2019 40

* Dated information last updated 15 December 2020. ADDucation’s list of highest bridges doesn’t include bridges still under construction, temporary bridge constructions and cliff walk bridges etc.

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