Since most very long bridges have tolls, I am wondering what the longest free bridge is.
It has to be free for cars in both directions.
I would have to say either the Bridge to South Padre Island or the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.
It's the Manchac Swamp Bridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchac_Swamp_bridge), on the the southern end of I-55 in Louisiana (https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=I-55+S&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=30.209235,-90.42366&spn=0.520999,1.041641&sll=30.085805,-90.438766&sspn=0.016302,0.032551&geocode=FXHgzwEdziGc-g%3BFQAeywEdRgqc-g&t=h&mra=me&mrsp=1,0&sz=16&z=11). In the US, only the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is longer, and it's tolled.
Quote from: Ga293 on December 31, 2013, 09:45:24 PM
It's the Manchac Swamp Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchac_Swamp_bridge)
Yup. bridges don't always cross major rivers.
I'd also say if it is a bridge only over water, the Virginia Dare memorial bridge is 5.2 mi long and connects the outer banks to the mainland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Dare_Bridge
Slightly longer is the I-10 twin span: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-10_Twin_Span_Bridge
Technically speaking (and something we've had a thread about here in the past), one could start at the north end of the Manchac Swamp Bridge and go south on I-55, east on I-10, then south on I-310 to between US 61 and LA 48 (or vice versa) and be on bridge the entire time...a total of a little over 38 miles.
Quote from: SteveG1988 on January 01, 2014, 02:05:45 AM
I'd also say if it is a bridge only over water, the Virginia Dare memorial bridge is 5.2 mi long and connects the outer banks to the mainland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Dare_Bridge
Slightly longer is the I-10 twin span: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-10_Twin_Span_Bridge
There's always the 7-mile bridge in the Florida Keys...
For Virginia, both the US 17-258 James River and I-664 James River bridges are longer than the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
US 17-258 is longest at about 4.4 miles.
Mapmikey
Not as long as some of the others, but the Astoria—Megler Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astoria%E2%80%93Megler_Bridge) is 4.1 miles long.
How could I forget about the 7 mile bridge? I have been across it many times in my younger days.
Quote from: Mapmikey on January 01, 2014, 12:22:50 PM
There's always the 7-mile bridge in the Florida Keys...
My first thought, indeed.
Quote from: froggie on January 01, 2014, 09:27:43 AM
Technically speaking (and something we've had a thread about here in the past), one could start at the north end of the Manchac Swamp Bridge and go south on I-55, east on I-10, then south on I-310 to between US 61 and LA 48 (or vice versa) and be on bridge the entire time...a total of a little over 38 miles.
Since I'm an engineer, I have to be picayune - is it a "bridge" just because it's up on structure, or does it have to have a name to it as a defined set of spans? Could go either way, not sure what the thread is looking for.
In Los Angeles, I-10 between I-110 and the East L.A. Interchange is on bridge rather than above-grade fill.
Just west of Sacramento, the Yolo Causeway bridges on I-80 are pretty long.
Quote from: hm insulators on January 06, 2014, 01:24:54 PM
In Los Angeles, I-10 between I-110 and the East L.A. Interchange is on bridge rather than above-grade fill.
similarly, the Alaskan Way viaduct in Seattle.