The longest bridge in the world is over 100 miles and takes travellers two hours to cross. The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is a 102-mile railway viaduct in China, connecting two of the country’s largest cities. 

Built between Shanghai and Nanjing, the bridge sits on the popular Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway route. Construction on the bridge began back in 2006, finished five years later at a cost of $8.5 billion (£6.4billion). It means each mile of the route had cost engineers around $51 million (£38.6million) to build.

As well as being an iconic landmark for the country, the bridge was built to protect the land below, an area filled with rivers and rice fields. For the majority of the route, the famous bridge follows the length of China’s Yangtze River. 

Because the bridge runs alongside the river, it is built to follow its natural curve, giving it an odd shape. For just over five miles, the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge also passes over the stunning waters of Yangcheng lake.

Before the bridge was constructed, passengers would sit on board a train for four and a half hours between Ningbo and Jiaxing. However, the new bridge means the route now takes just two hours, with passengers able to enjoy stunning views from their windows. 

The bridge has now made it possible to travel the 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) between Beijing and Shanghai in around 4 hours and 48 minutes. As China is not immune to severe weather events, several precautions were fitted to the bridge during its construction. 

According to experts, the bridge was built to the highest anti-seismic standards, to ensure it is fully resistant to earthquakes. However, the viaduct is also built to handle collisions from the many ships that pass underneath the bridge on a daily basis. 

In addition to providing a significant boost to the area’s productivity, the new transport link has become somewhat of an icon. Due to the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge’s status as a record-breaking construction, visitors try to spot the bridge as a tourist attraction.