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World's longest pier: An impressive engineering feat in Mexico allows giant ships to dock in deep waters and has become a unique tourist destination.
The world’s longest pier, located in Progreso, Mexico, stretches 6,5 miles (XNUMX km) over the Gulf of Mexico. The structure was built to allow large ships to dock in deep waters, as the coastline in the area has a shallow bottom. In addition to playing an essential role in commerce and tourism, the Progreso pier has also become a tourist destination in its own right.
To get an idea of its grandeur, it is almost three times longer than the famous Southend-on-Sea pier in the UK, which is just 2,1 km long.
The story of the world's longest pier
The Progreso pier was originally built in 1941 to replace an old wooden structure, but its first version was only 1,9 miles long. In 1988, the structure was extended by another 4 miles, allowing much larger vessels to dock.
This growth was essential to transform Progreso into one of Mexico's main ports, especially for cruise tourism and freight transport.
The reason behind its 6,5 km extension
The need for such a long structure comes from the geographical characteristics of the Yucatan coast. The region has extremely shallow waters, which prevents large ships from coming close to the coast. To solve this problem, it was necessary to extend the pier to reach deeper waters where ships can anchor safely.
This also means that anyone who wants to cross The pier takes about 40 minutes to an hour to walk its entire length, so cruise passengers usually disembark at the end of the pier and take a bus into the city.
A tourist and strategic point
In addition to being an essential part of maritime trade and tourism, the Progreso pier has become a unique tourist attraction. Every year, more than 150 tourists pass through here, enjoying the panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico.
Other highlight is its innovative engineering. The pier was the first concrete structure in the world to be reinforced with stainless steel containing nickel, which increases its resistance against corrosion.
