What will be the longest bridge span in the world?

The Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge in China, with a 2,300 m main span, is expected to take the record when it is completed, projected for 2028. The Messina Strait Bridge would be longer at 3,300 m but was still awaiting approval in October 2026.

What is the longest suspension bridge span today?

The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Türkiye, opened in March 2022, with a 2,023 m main span.

Is the Gordie Howe International Bridge open?

Yes. It opened to traffic on 27 July 2026, connecting Windsor and Detroit.

Explore · Mega projects

Bridge Mega Projects 2026: Record Spans Under Construction

Record spans under construction, crossings waiting for approval and the giants that just opened, with type, main span and dated status. Updated 25 October 2026.

This page tracks the bridge megaprojects that engineers are watching in 2026: record spans under construction, crossings waiting for approval and the large ones that have just opened. Each entry gives the structure type, the main span, the latest status with its date and a source you can check. It is updated as new milestones are reported.

Main spans compared. Akashi Kaikyō is shown for reference as the record holder from 1998 to 2022.

At a glance

Project	Type	Main span	Status
Messina Strait Bridge	Suspension, road and rail	3,300 m	Awaiting approval (October 2026)
Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge	Suspension	2,300 m	Under construction since June 2022
Shiziyang Bridge	Double-deck suspension	2,180 m	Towers topped out March 2026
Chacao Bridge	Suspension, three towers	1,155 m + 1,055 m	Under construction; target October 2028
Brent Spence Bridge Corridor	Companion bridge and corridor	type set in design	Groundbreaking 8 May 2026
Gordie Howe International Bridge	Cable-stayed	about 853 m	Opened to traffic 27 July 2026
Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link	Bridge–tunnel link	1,666 m	Opened 30 June 2024
1915 Çanakkale Bridge	Suspension	2,023 m	Opened 18 March 2022

Three record suspension spans are being built or planned at once, all well beyond the 2,023 m of the current record holder. The first to finish is likely to be the Zhangjinggao bridge in China. Messina, if built, would push the record more than a kilometre further.

Messina Strait Bridge, Italy

Suspension, road and rail · main span 3,300 m · towers 399 m · Awaiting approval (October 2026)

The longest span ever proposed for construction, between Sicily and Calabria. The technical council approved the final design in August 2026 with more than 100 conditions; a new CIPESS resolution and its registration by the Court of Auditors are still needed before executive design and works. The official opening target is 2034, at an estimated €13.5 billion. Our Messina Strait Bridge tracker follows every step.

Source: Stretto di Messina S.p.A.

Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge, China

Suspension · main span 2,300 m (south channel) · main tower about 350 m · Under construction since June 2022

Between Zhangjiagang and Rugao in Jiangsu, it will take the world record for a suspension span when completed. The south anchorage structure was completed in August 2026, and in September 2026 crews were preparing to take the pilot rope across the Yangtze, the first step before catwalks and cable spinning. Completion is projected for 2028.

Source: Science and Technology Daily, 26 August 2026 · Yangtse Evening Post, 8 September 2026

Shiziyang Bridge, China

Double-deck suspension · main span 2,180 m · 16 lanes · towers about 342 m · Towers topped out March 2026

Part of the Shiziyang Link across the Pearl River estuary between Nansha (Guangzhou) and Dongguan. With eight lanes on each of two decks it will be the longest-span double-deck suspension bridge. The towers were topped out on 26 March 2026 and work moved to the superstructure; completion is expected in 2029.

Source: Newsgd, 27 March 2026

Chacao Bridge, Chile

Suspension with two main spans of 1,155 m and 1,055 m · three towers · Under construction; target October 2028

Linking Chiloé Island to the mainland across the Chacao Channel, with a central tower founded on the Roca Remolino rock in mid-channel. Concreting of all three towers was completed in July 2026; cable installation is planned for 2027 and the deck for 2028. The contractor is Hyundai Engineering & Construction, after its original partner left the consortium.

Source: The Clinic, 30 July 2026 · Wikipedia: Chacao Channel bridge

Brent Spence Bridge Corridor, Ohio and Kentucky, USA

New companion bridge over the Ohio River plus corridor rebuild · Groundbreaking 8 May 2026

A US$4.05 billion programme to relieve the overloaded 1963 Brent Spence Bridge between Cincinnati and Covington. A new companion bridge will carry the interstate traffic and the existing bridge will be converted for local traffic. The companion bridge is expected to open in 2031 and the approach works to finish in 2033.

Source: FOX19, 8 May 2026

Gordie Howe International Bridge, Canada–USA

Cable-stayed · main span about 853 m · towers about 220 m · Opened to traffic 27 July 2026

The new crossing of the Detroit River between Windsor and Detroit, with the longest cable-stayed main span in North America. Construction started in 2018; the opening slipped from 2024 to 2026. Design was led by AECOM, and Canada financed construction.

Source: Dezeen, 28 July 2026 · ClickOnDetroit, 24 July 2026

Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link, China

Bridge–tunnel link · Lingdingyang suspension bridge, main span 1,666 m · 6.7 km immersed tunnel · Opened 30 June 2024

A road crossing of the Pearl River estuary combining an immersed tunnel at the Shenzhen end, artificial islands and a series of bridges, the largest of them the Lingdingyang suspension bridge with its deck high above a major shipping channel. A useful benchmark for sea crossings now being planned elsewhere.

Source: Wikipedia: Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link

1915 Çanakkale Bridge, Türkiye

Suspension · main span 2,023 m · towers 334 m · Opened 18 March 2022

The current record holder for the longest suspension span, crossing the Dardanelles. It took the record from the 1,991 m Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan, which had held it since 1998. Built by a Turkish and South Korean consortium (Limak, Yapı Merkezi, DL and SK ecoplant) in about five years.

Source: Wikipedia: 1915 Çanakkale Bridge

What makes a megaproject hard

The engineering problems repeat from one project to the next. Long suspension spans are governed by their own weight, so cable steel strength and the stiffness of the deck against wind decide how far a span can go; see the self-anchored suspension bridges topic and the wind load tool. Sea crossings are governed by foundations, ship impact and the logistics of working offshore, which is why spud barges, jack-up platforms and floating cranes appear on every one of these sites (see spud barges and construction methods). Approvals, financing and the contract model take longer than the construction on several of the projects above.

For finished record bridges see the rankings, and for how they were built see the best bridge engineering documentaries.

TrackerMessina Strait Bridge tracker RankingsLongest bridge spans ExploreBridges atlas MediaBridge documentaries NewsBridge news TopicSelf-anchored suspension bridges

Questions engineers ask

What will be the longest bridge span in the world?: The Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge in China, with a 2,300 m main span, is expected to take the record when it is completed, projected for 2028. The Messina Strait Bridge would be longer at 3,300 m but was still awaiting approval in October 2026.
What is the longest suspension bridge span today?: The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Türkiye, opened in March 2022, with a 2,023 m main span.
Is the Gordie Howe International Bridge open?: Yes. It opened to traffic on 27 July 2026, connecting Windsor and Detroit.

Sources

Updated 2026-10-25 · written by a practising bridge engineer

Bridge mega projects