The World's Longest Bridge Over Water.

China Opens the World's Longest Bridge Over Water, capsizing American Record-Holder. The new bridge spans Jiaozhou Bay, on the southern coast of China's Shandong Peninsula in northeastern China. Along with its massive high-speed rail network, China has officially surpassed the United States in yet another piece of transportation infrastructure: the world's longest sea bridge. 

At 26.4 miles long, it beats Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Causeway — the previous world-record holder — by at least 2 miles, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Chinese workers toiled at marathon pace to build the bridge in four years, starting at each side and meeting in the middle. The structure has 5,200 pillars and cost at least $2.3 billion, according to Chinese state-run media.

The Guinness officials say the bridge is earthquake- and typhoon-proof, and designed to withstand the impact of a 300,000-ton vessel. It links the port city of Qingdao to the island of Huangdao, cutting drive time from 40 to 20 minutes, according to the state-run China Daily.