Experience on the world's longest highway bridge: Drivers are afraid of 'stiffness', pregnant women give birth on the bridge

When the city of New Orleans, Louisiana (USA) expanded its administrative boundaries in the 1940s and 1950s, moving north of the city became a problem for residents. Those who go from the center to the North or vice versa, all face a big obstacle to cross Lake Pontchartrain - Louisiana's largest freshwater lake.

If driving east or west, circling the lake is a time consuming journey. Therefore, the city authorities soon planned to create the shortest path to facilitate the movement of people. And the fastest way is to make an overpass, going through the middle of the lake, straight as a crow flies.

Lake Pontchartrain is located in New Orleans, Louisiana (USA).

In 1955, the Louisiana Bridge Company was formed to undertake this "bridge of the century" construction project. It only took 14 months, this company completed the construction of a straight bridge with 2 lanes. The Pontchartrain Bridge was officially inaugurated in 1956 with a total length of 38.39km.

The bridge is so long that car drivers can't see the mainland if it's about 12.8km. And there have been many drivers who have gone half way, when suddenly "scarred" because of the fear of the sea and the police were forced to escort them for the rest of the way. There are babies born on this highway when their mothers can't wait for the car to go to the hospital on the other end. The impressive case is that a plane once ran out of fuel and landed safely on a bridge.

The bridge is so long that motorists cannot see the mainland.

Inauguration of the 2nd bridge

A decade after the first bridge was inaugurated, daily vehicle traffic on the bridge has surpassed 5,300 vehicles. Authorities planned to build a second bridge running parallel to the original bridge. It was inaugurated in 1969, about 25m away from the first bridge and only 25m longer.

The impressive figures of the bridge are enough to attract the attention of the Guinness World Records. The Pontchartrain Bridge was officially recognized as the longest over-water bridge in the world, a record held until 2011.

 The Pontchartrain Bridge becomes the longest bridge over the water (in terms of continuous length).

In July 2011, Guinness World Records announced that the newly completed Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China is now the longest over-water bridge in the world with a total length of 42.6km.

In 2018, this record again belonged to China with the 55km long Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau bridge. However, many people expressed questions and pointed out that these are not bridges that are completely above the water, because their structure includes tunnels going under the sea.

The controversy caused the Guinness Book of Records to separate two categories more clearly. Accordingly, the Pontchartrain bridge becomes the longest bridge over the water (in terms of continuous length). And Giao Chau Bay Bridge becomes the longest bridge over water (total length).

Since then, the bridge on Lake Pontchartrain has maintained its position as the longest continuous bridge over water in the world for more than 60 years, since the completion of the first road.