Infrastructure

World’s Biggest Bridge Construction Projects

Updated on

July 27, 2023

The Fourth Panama Canal Bridge. (Photo: Courtesy)

A multitude of highly ambitious bridge construction projects are currently underway in many parts of the world, driven by governments seeking to connect regions divided by natural obstacles like deep canyons and expansive terrain.

These projects are testaments to human engineering prowess, as they reshape landscapes and forge important connections between distant communities.

Amidst this flurry of activity in bridge construction, six projects stand out for their magnificence and potential to redefine global connectivity.

Biggest bridge construction projects

Here are the six biggest bridge projects under development across the world.

Gordie Howe International Bridge, North America
Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, Philippines
‘Africa’s longest bridge’ in Tanzania
Fourth Mainland Bridge, Nigeria
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge, Bangladesh
Fourth Panama Canal Bridge, Panama

1. Gordie Howe International Bridge, North America

Cost: $4.42 billion

Gordie Howe International Bridge, a 2.4km bridge coming up in North America, currently holds the title of the biggest bridge construction project in the world.

The six-lane toll bridge spanning the Detroit River, connecting the City of Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is estimated to cost $4.42 billion, with the design and build contract valued at $2.68 billion.

Upon its completion in 2025, the six-lane toll bridge spanning the Detroit River, connecting the City of Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, will claim the title of North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge with a span of 0.85km.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is being undertaken by a joint venture between Fluor Canada (40%), ACS Infrastructure Canada (40%), and Aecon Concessions (20%).

The JV will run a 36-year design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) concession, a deal that will save $470m compared to traditional procurement.

2. Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, Philippines

Cost: $3.6 billion

The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is a proposed 32.2km-long, four-lane, cable-stayed bridge spanning Manila Bay in the Philippines, whose construction is due to start in 2024.

Expected to cost $3.6 billion, the two cable-stayed bridges will connect Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan, and Barangay Timalan, Naic, Cavite.

A consortium led by engineering firm TYLin is developing a detailed engineering design for the North Channel Bridge and the South Channel Bridge, which will feature main spans of 400m and 900m, respectively.

The two facilities will tower above waters as deep as 50m.

3. ‘Africa’s longest bridge’ in Tanzania

Cost: $2.7 billion

Tanzania is pushing forward with plans to build a 50km bridge connecting Dar es Salaam with Zanzibar Island to ease the movement of people and cargo.

At 50km, the Tanzania-Zanzibar bridge will, on completion in 2028, become the longest bridge in Africa, ahead of the upcoming Fourth Mainland Bridge in Nigeria.

The yet-to-be-named bridge will be more than fifty times longer than the nearly 1 km-long Mkapa Bridge, which spans the Rufiji River, Tanzania’s longest river.

The government of Tanzania has estimated that the bridge will cost $2.7 billion.

4. Fourth Mainland Bridge, Nigeria

Cost: $2.5 billion

Lagos State has picked a contractor for the 38km Fourth Mainland Bridge that links Lagos City with Lagos Island, pushing forward the much-delayed project.

The CCECC-CRCCIG consortium, led by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, has won the deal, while a group made up of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), China Road & Bridge, and Portuguese builder Mota-Engil, in which CCCC holds a 32% stake, is the reserve bidder.

The successful bidder will be tasked with the construction of a greenfield tolled road and bridge, three toll plazas, nine interchanges, and a 4.5km lagoon bridge.

The Fourth Mainland Bridge, which was proposed in 2006, is intended to ease congestion on the existing 11.8km Third Mainland Bridge.

The project is estimated to cost $2.5 billion.

5. Bangabandhu Railway Bridge, Bangladesh

Cost: $1.6 billion

Construction of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge is well underway in Bangladesh, with two consortia led by Japanese contractors having already built nearly 60% of the dual-gauge, dual-track, steel truss bridge.

The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge runs for 4.8km over the Jamuna River and involves the construction of 50 piers and 49 spans.

A joint venture between Obayashi-TOA-JFE is building the eastern section of the bridge, while a JV between IHI Infrastructure Systems and Sumitomo Mitsui Construction is implementing the western package.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2025 at $1.6 billion.

6. Fourth Panama Canal Bridge, Panama

Cost: $1.5 billion

The Panamanian government is set to start construction of the Fourth Panama Canal Bridge, a $1.5 billion project that has been delayed for half a decade.

The deal was awarded to the Panamá Cuarto Puente consortium, comprising China Harbour Engineering Company and China Construction Communications Company in 2018, but the authorities postponed the project due to funding issues.

In January, the government announced the Fourth Panama Canal Bridge project would resume by the end of the year.

TYLin will be responsible for engineering the 3 km-long cable-stayed bridge, featuring two towers, with the main span measuring 510m long and 51m wide.

The centre span of the bridge will be an impressive 75m above the Panama Canal.