Discovering the World's Most Expensive Bridge Innovations

1. United Kingdom's Severn Bridge

Situated in the United Kingdom's England and Wales Founded in 1966 Price: *$8 million The Severn Bridge, a marvel of architecture that spans the distance between England and Wales, is a symbol of engineering achievement and solidarity across national borders. Known as "The Gateway to Wales," this suspension bridge spans the River Severn for a magnificent 1,600 metres and has long been praised for both its strategic significance and graceful form.

Advertisement

The Severn Bridge in the UK mattbuck / Commons/Wikimedia 30,000 tonnes of steel were needed to build it, demonstrating the enormous ambition of British engineering. One fascinating aspect of its construction is the unusual obstacles that the engineers overcame, such as the necessity of accounting for the strong tidal forces of the river and the changing geological landscape of the area.

2. Japan's Great Seto Bridge

Situated in Kagawa/Okayama, Japan Founded in 1988 Price: $7 billion * The Great Seto Bridge in Japan, which connected the prefectures of Okayama and Kagawa, spanned an amazing 13.1 km and was nestled among the tranquil waters of the Seto Inland Sea. This architectural wonder, affectionately referred to as the "Pearl Bridge," is essential for maintaining connectivity between the islands.

Japan's Great Seto Bridge ©Shutterstock/North-tail Its construction required an enormous volume of concrete—more than 2.3 million cubic meters—which is truly astonishing. This accomplishment highlights Japan's dedication to developing cutting-edge infrastructure and technology.