There are more than 200,000 miles of road in the UK alone, not all of them particularly impressive… yet there are a number of the feats around the world that deserve recognition; pieces of engineering that simply have to be admired. From bridges to super highways, we at The Fuelcard Company have put together our own list of the world’s greatest road infrastructure.
1. Aizhai Suspension Bridge, China
The nation with the highest population in the world also has the highest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge in the world. The Aizhai hangs 1200 ft. over a canyon, and is surrounded by mountains – two of which the bridge connects and is fixed to. It’s an amazing construction, just don’t look down.
2. State Route 520 Floating Bridge, Seattle
Americans don’t tend to do things in half measures. So naturally, when a bridge was needed in Seattle, they decided to go all-out and make a floating bridge. The original ‘Evergreen Point’ was replaced this year by a safer modern equivalent. The good news? The replacement still floats!
3. Yamuna Expressway, India
Earning its place on the list due to its sheer scale is the Yamuna Expressway. India’s largest freeway, it has the capacity to cater for 8 lanes for over 165km. Said to have cost around £1.5 billion, bringing a modern giant road system to a landscape is no small feat. With a population of 1.2 billion, India needs plenty of travel infrastructure and this impressive road system shows how simply huge they have to be.
4. Russky Bridge, Russia
The largest cable-stayed bridge in the world, the Russky Bridge is an impressive sight along the Bosphorus Straight. Spanning more than 10,000 feet in length, and 2,000 feet in height at its tallest point – the bridge is an engineering marvel and will get you to Russky Island in style.
5. Bang Na Expressway, Thailand
More than 177,000 ft. long and for a time, the longest bridge in the world, the Bang Na is a motorway-bridge hybrid of grand proportions. It took 1,800,000 cubic metres of concrete to build the structure and keep drivers above the ground for their epic commute.
6. Øresund Bridge, Denmark
Last but certainly not least is the Øresund, a bridge-tunnel hybrid that connects Sweden and Denmark. Opened in 2000, the infrastructure, while officially named a bridge, is much, much more than that. It’s the longest combined rail and road bridge in Europe, with an island in the middle acting as the relay section. It’s space age looking stuff and is a worthy end to the list.
What are your favourite pieces of road infrastructure? Let us know on our Facebook page