Eye-catching feats of engineering, the world’s priciest bridges are a sight to behold. We have curated a list of the most expensive man-made crossings ever, from the stunning Golden Gate Bridge situated in San Francisco to China’s new state-of-the-art mega-bridges. The architects of those bridges have shown the marvel of their talent and ability to incorporate technology in their outstanding design.
Here are the most expensive bridges in the world:
- Golden Gate Bridge, USA: $704.9 million (£536m)
San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge is 2,737m long. It was named after the Golden Gate strait it crosses. It carries the California State Route 1 and US Route 101 to connect the city of San Francisco to Marin County. It was the world’s longest suspension bridge from 1937 to 1964. It also had the longest suspension bridge main span in the world until 1964. The American Society of Civil Engineers has declared it one of the Wonders of the Modern World. It is suspended on two towers that are 227m tall above water level. The construction cost a whopping $37 million (£28m) when it was constructed in 1937. - Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, USA: $900 million (£684m)
The cable-stayed bridge crosses the Cooper River in South Carolina. Also known as the Cooper Bridge and the Ravenel Bridge, Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is 4,023m long the Cooper River in South Carolina. It carries US Route 17 to connect downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant. The third-largest 10K in the US, the Cooper River Bridge Run goes across the bridge. This event attracts around 50,000 people on the first weekend of April. The construction cost a staggering $700 million (£527m) when it was completed in 2005. - Confederation Bridge, Canada: $971 million (£738m)
Confederation Bridge is a box-girder bridge that links mainland New Brunswick with Prince Edward Island. It carries the Trans-Canada Highway across the Northumberland Strait. The 12.9km long bridge is the longest bridge in Canada and the longest bridge over ice-covered water in the world. The annual count of tourists visiting Prince Edward Island has increased from 740,000 to 900,000 after the construction of the bridge was completed in 1997. The bridge has boosted the economy of the Prince Edward Island province since it was opened. - George Washington Bridge, USA: $935 million (£714m)
This double-decked suspension bridge is also known as the George, the GWB, the GW, or the GW Bridge. It carries the Interstate 95 and the US Route 1/9 to connect Fort Lee in New Jersey to Manhattan in New York. It crosses the Hudson River. It has two decks that carry a combined 14 lanes of traffic. The upper deck has eight lanes, whereas the lower deck has six lanes. The George Washington Bridge is a landmark of the metropolitan New York area. It is the world’s busiest vehicular bridge and carried 51.5 million vehicles in 2018. The bridge is 1,450m long with a main span of 1,100m. It was the world’s longest main bridge span until the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937. Its construction began just before the start of the Great Depression and cost $60 million (£45m). - Incheon Bridge: South Korea – $1.55 Billion (£1.18 billion)
This reinforced concrete cable-stayed bridge connects the mainland of Incheon to Yeongjong Island. It is South Korea’s longest cable-stayed bridge and the world’s tenth-longest cable-stayed bridge. Incheon Bridge forms a direct connection between the Songdo International Business District and the Incheon International Airport. By doing that, it saves an hour of travel time. The construction was completed in 2009 and it cost $1.4 billion (£1.06bn) back then.
