Does size matter?

SmashMouth · 07-01-2011, 06:16 AM

Causeway refuses to relinquish 'world's longest bridge' title to China | NOLA.com

For more than half a century, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway has proudly billed itself as the world's longest bridge. Call the office and you'll even be greeted with a "Thank you for calling the Causeway, the world's longest bridge.''

The total over-water length for Jiaozhou Bridge in China is about 16 miles, says Carlton Dufrechou, Lake Pontchartrain Causeway general manager. But, he says, the Causeway has its nearly 24 miles all over water. That's a big difference, he says.
So it should come as no surprise that Thursday's announcement that a longer bridge had opened in China wasn't warmly received by bridge officials.
"Bunch of wannabes,'' Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechou said.
The $2.3 billion Jiaozhou Bay bridge in the east China city of Qingdao opened to vehicles Thursday and measures 26 miles, a little more than two miles longer than the Causeway, which checks in at nearly 24 miles. An Associated Press story touts the Jiaozhou Bridge as the new world's longest bridge over open water. So does the Guinness Book of World Records (which now relegates the Causeway to No. 2) and the oft-used-but-sometimes-not-totally-accurate Wikipedia website.
But the Causeway begs to differ.
Dufrechou allows that the Jiaozhou Bridge, which like the Causeway will eventually charge a toll, is a "beautiful bridge,'' and that it does indeed measure 26 miles. But that's "cumulative roadbed length" -- in other words, the total length of the span. And some of that length comes courtesy of a curve in the bridge. The total over-water length for Jiaozhou is around 16 miles, he said.
Respectable. Even impressive. But, Dufrechou said, not quite Causeway material, which has its nearly 24 miles all over water.
"Over water? It's still the Causeway by a long shot,'' he said, calling the reports out of China nothing short of "propaganda.''

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So Causeway is the longest straight one .... and the Jiaozhou Bay bridge is the longest curved one?

07-01-2011, 06:16 AM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,550 Blog Entries: 29	Does size matter? Causeway refuses to relinquish 'world's longest bridge' title to China \| NOLA.com For more than half a century, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway has proudly billed itself as the world's longest bridge. Call the office and you'll even be greeted with a "Thank you for calling the Causeway, the world's longest bridge.'' The total over-water length for Jiaozhou Bridge in China is about 16 miles, says Carlton Dufrechou, Lake Pontchartrain Causeway general manager. But, he says, the Causeway has its nearly 24 miles all over water. That's a big difference, he says. So it should come as no surprise that Thursday's announcement that a longer bridge had opened in China wasn't warmly received by bridge officials. "Bunch of wannabes,'' Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechou said. The $2.3 billion Jiaozhou Bay bridge in the east China city of Qingdao opened to vehicles Thursday and measures 26 miles, a little more than two miles longer than the Causeway, which checks in at nearly 24 miles. An Associated Press story touts the Jiaozhou Bridge as the new world's longest bridge over open water. So does the Guinness Book of World Records (which now relegates the Causeway to No. 2) and the oft-used-but-sometimes-not-totally-accurate Wikipedia website. But the Causeway begs to differ. Dufrechou allows that the Jiaozhou Bridge, which like the Causeway will eventually charge a toll, is a "beautiful bridge,'' and that it does indeed measure 26 miles. But that's "cumulative roadbed length" -- in other words, the total length of the span. And some of that length comes courtesy of a curve in the bridge. The total over-water length for Jiaozhou is around 16 miles, he said. Respectable. Even impressive. But, Dufrechou said, not quite Causeway material, which has its nearly 24 miles all over water. "Over water? It's still the Causeway by a long shot,'' he said, calling the reports out of China nothing short of "propaganda.'' read more So Causeway is the longest straight one .... and the Jiaozhou Bay bridge is the longest curved one?