The longest bridge in the U.S.: over 23 miles long and a Guinness World Record holder for the longest bridge over water
A twin bridge in Louisiana boasts a Guinness World Record - but it faced a battle to retain this status in 2011.
Louisiana is home to a twin bridge that’s so long, it’s a world-record holder. However, that status came under threat earlier this century.
A ‘Big Easy’ bridge crossing
Connecting the north and south shores of Lake Pontchartrain, the pair of parallel road bridges is used by more than 30,000 vehicles each weekday, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
Known collectively as the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the bridges were built by the Louisiana Bridge Company in the mid-20th century, amid rising traffic to and from New Orleans. A city that lies on the lake’s southern edge, the ‘Big Easy’ was experiencing rapid growth.
Before the construction of the Causeway, “driving around the Lake was a time consuming effort”, notes the American Society of Civil Engineers, which in 2013 designated the twin bridge a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
But since the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway opened nearly 70 years ago - linking the northern terminus at Mandeville and the southern terminus in Metairie - drivers have been able to cross the 630 square-mile body of water in under half an hour.
How long is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway?
The Causeway’s southbound bridge was completed in 1956, initially accommodating two-way traffic before the addition of its northbound counterpart 13 years later. At 23.87 miles long, the second bridge is the longer of the two, by a margin of about 50 feet.
Both bridges are so long that drivers are said to lose sight of land for around an eight-mile stretch as they make their way across the lake.
Chinese competitor ignites battle of the bridges
For decades, the northbound bridge’s nearly 23.9-mile length secured it undisputed status as the planet’s longest bridge over open water in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In 2011, however, Guinness briefly relegated the Causeway to second, following the construction of the Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, a 25.84-mile structure in eastern China.
However, Causeway officials did not take their bridge’s demotion lying down. Speaking to local media, indeed, general manager Carlton Dufrechou dismissed the builders of the Qingdao bridge as a “bunch of wannabes”.
In an interview with The Times-Picayune, Dufrechou pointed out that the Chinese bridge, which includes bends and underwater tunnels, only runs over about 16 miles of water - eight fewer than Lake Ponchartrain’s straight, always-above-water Causeway.
In response to the controversy, Guinness split its “longest bridge over water” category into two. The second Causeway bridge was recognized as the longest “continuous” bridge over water, while the Chinese bridge was classified as the longest on the planet in terms of “aggregate length”.
The Qingdao structure later lost its Guinness designation, when the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge opened in 2018 with a 30.01-mile aggregate length.
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment