Features
15 Longest Bridges in USA
A quick overview of fifteen longest bridges in the United States.
The United States boasts a collection of globally acclaimed bridges, with the longest ones situated in Louisiana. Among them is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, holding the title of the longest bridge in the USA, spanning an impressive 24 miles (38.63 km).
Given Louisiana’s extensive wetlands and river systems, including the Mississippi River Delta, the state has built these lengthy bridges to facilitate navigation through its waterways.
Below is a compilation of the 15 longest bridges in America.
1. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Louisiana
Length: 24 miles (38.63km)
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest bridge in the US. The facility held the title of the world’s longest bridge from 1969 to 2011 when it was named the world’s longest sea bridge.
The bridge was granted the title since it runs across Lake Pontchartrain.
Built to help people avoid a 1.5-hour drive around the lake to get to the other side of the city, it is now the world’s second longest sea bridge after Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
2. Manchac Swamp Bridge, Louisiana
Length: 22 miles (35.41km)
The Manchac Swamp Bridge, a twin concrete trestle bridge in Louisiana, is the second longest bridge in America.
The bridge carries Interstate 55 and U.S. Route 51 over the Manchac Swamp, making it the longest bridge on the Interstate Highway System.
The Manchac Swamp Bridge, which opened in 1979, is believed to be the world’s longest toll-free road bridge. It is also one of the longest sea bridges in the world.
3. Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, Louisiana
Length: 18.2 miles (28.97km)
The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, (renamed Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge in 1989), is a twin bridge in Louisiana between Baton Rouge and Lafayette.
The bridge carries Interstate 10, a transcontinental interstate highway in America. It is built over Atchafalaya Basin, the largest swamp in the US.
Construction of the bridge was a difficult undertaking due to the variation and bogginess of the area and the possibility of flooding.
The bridge opened in 1973, topping the list of longest bridges in the USA.
4. Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Virginia
Length: 17.6 miles (28.32km)
When it opened in 1964, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was termed “One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World”.
The bridge provides a direct link between south-eastern Virginia and Delaware, slashing 90 minutes from the trip between Virginia Beach and the northern Wilmington, Delaware.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel comprises a tunnel that goes underwater for more than a kilometer to allow ships and boats to travel over the passage.
5. I-10 Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge, Louisiana
Length: 11.2 miles (18.02km)
The I-10 Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge, which opened in 1972, is a twin trestle bridge located in the Parish of St. Charles in south-eastern Louisiana.
The bridge carries Interstate 1-10 over the Bonnet Carré Spillway – a flood control setup in the Lower Mississippi Valley, Lake Pontchartrain, and LaBranche Wetlands and a portion of St. John the Baptist Parishes.
RELATED: World’s Biggest Bridge Construction Projects
The I-10 Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge connects Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
6. Louisiana Highway 1 Bridge, Louisiana
Length: 8.26 miles (13.29km)
The Louisiana Highway 1 Bridge (the Gateway to the Gulf Expressway), is a concrete trestle toll bridge in Louisiana, connecting Leeville to Port Fourch on Lafourche Parish, which extends into the Gulf of Mexico.
The bridge, which ranks sixth in the list of 10 longest bridges in the US, carries Louisiana Highway 1 over Bayou Lafourche and swamplands in south Louisiana.
The bridge was opened in 2009.
7. Jubilee Parkway, Alabama
Length: 7.5 miles (12.07km)
The Jubilee Parkway comprises two corresponding concrete viaduct bridges that convey Interstate 10 across Mobile Bay from the George Wallace Tunnel on Blakeley Island in Mobile, Alabama eastbound to Spanish Fort/Daphne, Alabama.
RELATED: Top 10 Longest Bridges in the World
The bridges share designs with the pre-Hurricane Katrina I-10 Twin Span Bridge near New Orleans, Louisiana. Each bridge is two lanes wide.
The Jubilee Parkway, which opened in 1978, was initially known as Americas Junior Miss Bayway but was later renamed to reflect the festivity that occurs occasionally in Mobile Bay.
8. San Mateo–Hayward Bridge, California
Length: 7.3 miles (11.7km)
The San Mateo–Hayward Bridge (San Mateo Bridge) is the longest bridge in California – linking the San Francisco Peninsula with the East Bay.
The bridge was opened in 1967, after the reconstruction of the original bridge that was built in 1929. Previously known as San Francisco Bay Toll Bridge, the viaduct was replaced due to overcrowding of the aging bridge.
The San Mateo–Hayward Bridge was built at a cost of $70 million.
It features two lanes heading in each direction – carrying about 80,000 vehicles daily between Foster City and Hayward in Alameda County.
9. Seven Mile Bridge, Florida
Length: 7 miles (11.3km)
The Seven Mile Bridge is a stunning bridge in the Florida Keys, Monroe County, Florida. It connects Marathon, Florida to Little Duck Key.
The bridge consists of two channels: a new bridge that carries vehicles and an old bridge open only to pedestrians and cyclists.
The new bridge was opened in 1982, while the older one was built from 1902 to 1912 under the patronage of Standard Oil founder Henry Flagler as a part of the Overseas Railroad.
10. General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge, Alabama
Length: 6 miles (9.65km)
Nicknamed Dolly Parton Bridge – after the popular American singer, Gen. W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge is a famous bridge that carries the four lanes of Interstate 65 across the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta northeast of Mobile, Alabama.
Opened in 1981, the bridge is named after Gen. W.K. Wilson Jr., a resident who served as chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1960s.
Wilson is recognized as one of the first people to communicate the need for construction of a high-level bridge on Interstate 65 over the Mobile River.
11. Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, California
Length: 5.5 miles (8.85km)
Opened in 1956, the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge at the east-west crossings of the San Francisco Bay in California is a stunning bridge that connects the cities of Richmond and San Rafael across the San Francisco Bay.
The bridge, which is also known as John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge, after the late California Senator John F. McCarthy, serves as a vital transportation link in the region.
RELATED: The Aftermath of Baltimore’s Key Bridge Collapse
Richmond–San Rafael Bridge offers stunning views of the bay while facilitating the movement of people and cargo between East Bay and Marin County.
12. Frank Davis Memorial Bridge, Louisiana
Length: 5.4 miles (8.69km)
Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, Frank Davis “Naturally N’Awlins” Memorial Bridge is a twin span bridge connecting New Orleans with Slidell.
The bridge serves as a vital transportation link, straddling the huge Mississippi River and connecting bustling neighborhoods.
The bridge, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, showcases stunning views of the Mississippi River and signifies the city’s lively culture.
In August 2014, the bridge was granted its current name in honor of Frank Davis – a renowned local television personality who used to fish near the facility.
13. Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, North Carolina
Length: 5 miles (8.05km)
Located in Manteo, North Carolina, the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge is a stunning four-lane bridge that carries Route-64.
The bridge, which is named after Virginia Dare – the first English child born in America, spans the Croatan Sound and joins Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island.
It serves as an important gateway for residents and visitors in the region.
14. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Maryland
Length: 4.3 miles (6.92km)
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland is a massive dual-span bridge crossing the Chesapeake Bay to link the eastern and western shores of the state.
The bridge, which was opened in 1952, consists of two spans: the original Chesapeake Bay Bridge, christened the “William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge,” and a parallel span known as the “Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.”
It has two tunnels that run a mile under the bay, allowing ships to travel over them. The tunnels link to the bridge via four manmade islands each about the size of a football field.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge offers scenic views of the bay and surrounding coastal scenery.
15. Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Florida
Length: 4.1 miles (6.6 km)
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is an iconic cable-stayed bridge that spans Tampa Bay connecting the cities of St. Petersburg and Terra Ceia.
The bridge is famous for its distinctive cable-stayed structure, featuring a central main span supported by towering pylons.
It offers spectacular views of the bay and is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the United States and has been featured in several movies and TV series.
The 10 Most Read Construction Stories of 2023
The ten biggest construction stories of 2023 that you shouldn't miss.
Road Curve Design and Construction
Everything you need to know about road curves.
The ABCs of Drainage Construction
Everything you need to know about construction of drains.