Taiwan’s 920-metre-long Danjiang Bridge has opened to the public and now holds the world record for the longest single-mast cable-stayed bridge.

The main section of the bridge, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is around 30 metres longer than the Yugra Bridge in Surgut, Russia, which had held the record since 2000.

Danjiang Bridge spans the mouth of the Tamsui, the major river flowing through Taiwan’s capital Taipei, and will provide a direct link with Bali District in New Taipei City. Its installation will also reduce traffic congestion on local roads by connecting several highways and expressways on both sides of the river.

Taiwan is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the boundary of active tectonic plates. As a result, Danjiang has been built to withstand earthquakes measuring magnitude 7 or higher. According to Taiwan’s Highway Bureau, officials installed state-of-the-art sensors on the bridge to monitor structural integrity and wind forces and stress on its cables in real time. Should readings exceed safe values, the sensors would alert the bridge control centre of a potential safety incident to enable the implementation of traffic controls to reduce load.

Its unique single-mast layout was engineered to optimise structural performance without impairing views of the setting sun. The sculptural 200-metre concrete mast has been designed to be as slender as possible while safely supporting the bridge’s 450-metre central span in extreme weather conditions and during seismic events.

It has also been built with dedicated pedestrian and cycle lanes, and a design that allows for the future expansion of the Danhai light rail network across the Tamsui River. 

While the bridge’s structural components were completed in October last year, construction teams have spent the intervening months laying asphalt on the road deck as well as installing lighting, noise barriers and auxiliary facilities to get it ready for traffic. 

The Danjiang Bridge was first proposed nearly 30 years ago but faced decades of environmental reviews, redesigns, and multiple failed rounds of bidding before builders finally broke ground in 2019.