Qingdao Bridge – $8.8 billion
Construction of the Qingdao Bridge over Jiaozhou Bay in eastern China cost $8.8 billion. Construction of the bridge began in May 2007, and it opened on June 30, 2011. Construction of the bridge began in May 2007.
Bridge across the Jiaozhou Bay in eastern China was opened on June 30, 2011. According to the British editions of the Daily Mail and The Telegraph, its construction cost $8.8 billion. Chinese sources reported $1.5 billion and $2.27 billion. The length of the construction is 42.5 km – a world record for bridges built over the water. The construction of one kilometer of the structure could cost as much as $207 million.
The construction of the bridge started in May 2007. The main investor and builder was the state-owned Shandong High-Speed Group Corp. The object was erected by 10 thousand people, divided into two teams, – they started working from the opposite sides of the bay. The two parts were connected on December 22nd, 2010. For the construction 450,000 tons of steel – as much as would be needed for the 65 Eiffel Towers – and 2.3 million cubic meters of concrete, which could fill 3,800 Olympic swimming pools, were used. The bridge stands on 5,200 pylons. Its construction shortened the distance between Qingdao city and the industrial suburb of Huangdao by only 30 km and travel time by 20-40 minutes, which has repeatedly raised questions about the feasibility of this expensive project.
The bridge bed is 35 meters wide and consists of six lanes (three in each direction). The first month of operation was free, then a 50 yuan ($7.75) toll was introduced. When the bridge was opened, the authorities declared that 30,000 vehicles would pass over it daily, but the actual traffic load now does not exceed 10,000 vehicles. According to official statements, the bridge can withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake and is not afraid of typhoons.
Bay Bridge – $6.4 billion
The east span of the Bay Bridge suspension bridge between the California cities of San Francisco and Oakland was opened on September 2, 2013. It was built to replace the span that was damaged in the Oct. 17, 1989, magnitude 6.9 earthquake. The project cost $6.4 billion.
The east span of the Bay Bridge suspension bridge between the California cities of San Francisco and Oakland opened on September 2, 2013. It was built to replace the span that was damaged in the Oct. 17, 1989, magnitude 6.9 earthquake. The project cost $6.4 billion. The span was 3.5 km long, meaning that 1 km cost $1.8 billion.
The first bridge between the cities was built in 1933-1936. During the construction 8.3 thousand people were involved. For the whole project then was spent $77 million, the equivalent of the current $1.32 billion. The 7.2 km long structure consists of two parts: the western passage connects San Francisco and the island of Yerba Buena, the eastern – Yerba Buena and Oakland. The opening of the facility took place on November 11, 1936. The festivities lasted five days and included a yacht regatta and a seaplane parade. A ticket to the celebration cost $2.50. In the first year, 9 million vehicles traveled over the bridge, each charged $0.65 (equivalent to today’s $8).
An earthquake in 1989 revealed that the east end of the bridge was not seismically stable enough. Construction of the new span began in January 2002 and lasted 11 years instead of the planned five. The original budget of $1.1 billion eventually rose to $6.4 billion. According to the design, the new structure will withstand a magnitude 8.5 earthquake.
The bridge is the world’s most multilane bridge at 78.7 m (10 car lanes). Every day on it passes about 250 thousand vehicles. Westbound toll from San Francisco to Oakland is $6 from 5 to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, $5 on weekends, and $4 the rest of the time. The bridge also has a pedestrian and bicycle zone.
Great Belt Bridge – $3.14 billion
Bridge over the Great Belt in Denmark connecting islands of Funen and Zealand, opened on June 14, 1998 – ten years after construction began. The 18-kilometer construction cost $3.14 billion (DKK 21.4 billion in 1988), 1 km of the bridge cost $174.4 million
Bridge over the Great Belt in Denmark, connecting islands of Funen and Zealand, was opened on June 14, 1998. The 18-kilometer construction cost $3.14 billion (DKK 21.4 billion in 1988), 1 km of the bridge cost $174.4 million.
The facility consists of two parts, connecting on the island of Sprog. The western half is a road-rail bridge between the island of Funen and Sprogue, the eastern half is a suspension bridge and an underwater rail tunnel between Sprogue and Zealand. The highway consists of four lanes, the railroad of two tracks. The western part is elevated 18 m above sea level, the eastern part 65 m.
Construction continued for ten years. On June 3, 1997, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark took the train to open the first part of the structure – a link between the underwater tunnel and the west bridge for trains. Travel time under the Great Belt Strait is 2.5 minutes. The length of the tunnel, which was built from 1988 to 1996, is 8024 m, the section of the maximum depth passes through the marker 75 m below sea level.
The bridge replaced a ferry that carried 8,000 cars a day. In the first month after its opening, the bridge carried 18,000 cars a day, and in 2014, daily traffic was 31,000 vehicles. The journey from the island to the island by ferry took 90 minutes, over the bridge – 10-15 minutes.
The Great Belt is the only toll road in Denmark. A one-way motorcycle or passenger car fare would cost €18, a round trip weekend ticket – €57.
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge – $2.5 billion
The Verrazano-Narrows Suspended Car Bridge connecting New York City’s Brooklyn and Staten Island neighborhoods opened on November 21, 1964. On the object spent $320 million, this amount is equivalent to the current $2.5 billion. The length of the bridge – 4.18 km, every day on 12 lanes (six on each level) pass over 200 thousand vehicles
The suspension bridge connecting New York City’s Brooklyn and Staten Island neighborhoods was opened on November 21, 1964. The object was spent on the $320 million, this amount is equivalent to the current $2.5 billion. The length of the bridge – 4.18 km, that is, the construction of one kilometer cost $593 million in today’s prices.
Construction of the two-level bridge began in 1959. In 1964 the upper level was opened, in 1969 – the lower one. Until 1981, when the British Humber Bridge was opened, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The central span is 1,298 m long. The weight of the structure is 1.27 million tons.
The bridge is named after the Florentine navigator Giovanni da Verrazano, who on April 7, 1524 was the first European to enter New York Bay. The structure was designed by engineer Otmar Amman (author of five other bridges in New York: the George Washington Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge, the Triborough Bridge, the Bronx Whitestone Bridge and the Trogs Neck Bridge) and famous urban planner Robert Moses (known for Lincoln Center and the United Nations Headquarters, among others). About 12,000 people worked on the construction site.
Every year on the bridge starts the New York City Marathon and the largest in the country mass bike race Five Boro Bike Tour. Over 200,000 vehicles pass through the 12 lanes (six on each level) each day. After it opened, the fare was $0.50 (less than $4 today). Before 1986, tolls were charged both ways. Now only traffic from Brooklyn to Staten Island is charged. The price is $6.5 for a motorcycle and $16 for a car.
Yonjohn Bridge – $1.9 billion
A road and rail bridge connecting Yongjong Island and the city of Incheon in South Korea opened in December 2000. Construction cost $1.9 billion. The bridge is 4,420 meters long and costs $430 million per kilometer.
The automobile and railway bridge connecting the island of Yongjon and the city of Incheon in South Korea was opened in December 2000. Construction cost $1.9 billion. The bridge is 4,420 meters long and costs about $430 million per kilometer.
The project development was completed in December 1993, the construction with private capital assistance started in November 1995. The structure externally resembles a roof of a traditional Korean house. The longest part of the structure is 3,870 m long – it consists of two girder bridges, 550 m is occupied by a suspension bridge with the main span of 300 m and two spans of 125 m. The height of the pylons is 107 m above sea level. The bridge is 35 m wide (eight automobile lanes), with two railway lines running along the lower tier. The structure is resistant to earthquakes and strong winds. In 2002 the structure won the Tanaka Prize from the Japanese Society of Civil Engineers, the first such prize in South Korea.
The Yonghong Bridge is part of the expressway system at Incheon International Airport, located 70 kilometers from Seoul. The toll depends on the size of the vehicle and the destination, ranging from 1,400 won ($1,26) to 16,800 won ($15,12). There are restrictions on the size of the vehicle: width – no more than 3 meters, height – no more than 4.2 meters, length with a trailer – no more than 19 meters.
In February 2015, there was a mass accident on the bridge: about 100 cars collided, two people died, and more than 65 were injured.