List of Famous Bridges
London Tower Bridge
London Tower Bridge is one of the most iconic structures of this old city.
Set on the river Thames and built with a combinations of suspension
(static) and bascule (moveable) elements, the defining feature of this
bridge are two enormous towers connected by two parallel walkways. During
early years of its history, this bridge was famously known as “Tower of London,” named by the royal prison that was located in the towers.
The modern history of bridge building is defined by several magnificent
structures, out of which Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco is hailed as
being one of the most recognizable ones. Designed by the architect
mastermind Joseph B. Strauss, this bright red bridge
dominates strait of Golden Gate between the city of San Francisco and Marin
County to the north. This 894,500-ton marvel of modern engineering remained
the longest suspension bridge in the world until 1964 and
the construction of Japan's Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.
Millau Bridge
Millau Bridge located on the uneven grounds of southern France represents
one of the crowning achievements of European bridge building. Its impressive characteristics,
such as the total distance of almost 2.5 kilometers,343 meters elevation from the ground, and the inclusion of eight large spans, made this bridge instantly took the
breath away when it was constructed in 2004 with the price tag of
incredible 394 million Euro.
Venice is a city of thousand bridges, but one managed to
distinguished itself from the rest and became an architectural icon of the city. Single-arched Rialto
Bridge was built in 1591 under the oversight of the architect Antonio da
Ponte whose controversial non-Romanesque proposal outperformed even those
of famous Michelangelo. Rialto Bridge spans the Grand Canal of Venice,
connecting the center of the city and the famous Rialto Markets on the same
place where old and unreliable wooden pontoon bridges served the Venice for
centuries.
Si-o-se Pol
Si-o-se Pol is one of the most famous bridges created in the entire Middle
East, featuring an incredible design of 33 arches over river Zayanderud that together span distance of almost 300
meters. Hailed as the most impressive of the eleven bridges in Isfahan,
Iran, Si-o-se Pol is regarded today as the shining example of the Safavid
bridge school of art.
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Stari Most
Stari Most (Old Bridge) is the most famous bridge design of Ottoman Turks. Dating from 1566, it stood over the river
Neretva in the city of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in almost perfect
untouched state until for centuries it got damaged during the War in Bosnia
and Herzegovina in the 1990s. The newly restored bridge still showcases all
the beauty of this striking looking single-arched bridge.
Sydney Harbor Bridge
Sydney Harbor Bridge is one of the best known and most photographed bridges
in the world. Since its opening in 1932 it managed to capture the
imagination of millions of tourists who visit Sidney, and together with
Sydney Opera house, it instantly became one of the most recognizable architectural symbols of the entire continent of Australia, and its colorful decorations are frequently showcased during New Year’s
Eve celebrations.
Akashi Kaikyo
This 3.9-kilometer suspension bridge connects the Japanese mainland of
Honshu to the Awaji Island, passing over the dangerous Akashi Strait that claimed several passenger
ferries in the 1950s. Designed by the Satoshi Kashima who oversaw the
construction of the bridge that started in 1988 with a budget of around
$3.6 billion, Akashi Kaikyo bridge and it record-setting central span that
is almost 2 km long became opened for public use on April 5, 1998. This
massive and very expensive project of Japanese government paid off,
connecting Awaji Island with the rest of the Japan road network and
becoming a new part of the Honshu–Shikoku Highway.
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No bridge in the world has managed to become such a synonym for a
renaissance period as a Ponte dei Sospiri, a small prison
bridge that connected government offices with a nearby prison in the
center of the iconic Italian city of Venice. Built in early years of 17th
century, this bridge immediately captured the imagination of the public,
spawning several myths and serving as an inspiration to several similar
bridges that were built across the world.
Originally believed to be the last point from which Venetian prisoners
would be able to see the beauty of the city before they were executed, in
modern times this bridge became connected with the tourist-friendly myth of
ever-lasting love.
Brooklyn Bridge
Built between 1869 and 1883, this large hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge is hailed today as one of the oldest surviving roadway bridges in the
United States. Designed by John Augustus Roebling, his son Washington
Roebling, and his wife Emily Warren Roebling, Brooklyn Bridge features two
colossal towers and an intricate network of cables that keep the 5.9
kilometers of decking above the East River, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Immediately after it was opened to the public on May 24, 1883, Brooklyn
Bridge (then called New York and Brooklyn Bridge or East River Bridge) became one of the most impressive landmarks in New York City. It’s almost half a kilometer
central span was 50% longer than any other at that time. Today, the
renovated Brooklyn Bridge features additional decking that is intended only
for pedestrian and bicycle use.
The center of the city of Prague would not be the same
without the presence of one of the most impressive Gothic structures ever to be made. Charles Bridge was the
centerpiece of the medieval Prague road network, and as such, it was
protected by large gothic towers to be not only one of the most important
military defense points of the city but also as a showcase of rich Czech
history and art. After centuries of use as a road bridge, today this 515m
bridge serves as a reminder of more than 600 years of European history.
After numerous renovations that happened over its lifetime, Charles Bridge
became famous all around the world in the early 1700s with its avenue of 30 mostly baroque statues that showcased the artistic
prowess of Czech sculptors and artists.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Very few bridges in the world have ever been described as one of the “seven engineering wonders of the modern world,” but the mega-structure Chesapeake Bay Bridge deserved to be called
that way. Completed in 1964 with the budget of around $200 million, this
almost 7-kilometer-long bridge easily connects Eastern Shore region of US
state of Maryland with urbaner Western Shore as the part of the U.S. Route
50 and US Route 301. In the following years after the original
construction, Chesapeake Bay Bridge gained an additional parallel span, and
since then each span of the bridge is used for a single travel direction
(one for westbound and one for eastbound).
The position of this bridge makes it one of the most popular crossings of
the Chesapeake Bay, which has proven to lead to regular periods of
congestion during peak travel hours. The expected rise in traffic density
will soon be alleviated with the construction of a parallel tunnel that
would become part of the existing Chesapeake Bay Bridge roadway network.
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Coronado Bridge
Travel congestion of ferries between the cities of San Diego and Coronado
pushed government officials to fast-track building of the bridge that will
span the wide San Diego Bay in a unique way. After winning a 1978 World Bridge Beauty Contest, the bridge
design of the Robert Mosher was finally realized and opened to the public
on August 3, 1939. Created with 32 spans (with 21 of its piers being
located in water), this bridge managed to effortlessly reduce the traffic
congestion between these two cities with five car lanes (two for both
directions and a modular middle one) and to provide enough clearance that
even the largest ships of the US Navy could pass below its massive central
span that is 200m wide and 61m high.
Forth Bridge
Forth Bridge is a large 2.467-meter-long cantilever bridge, located 14
kilometers west of the Edinburgh City Centre where it spans the Firth of
Forth, wide estuary of several Scottish rivers. Located between villages of
South Queensferry and North Queensferry, this bridge became an integral
part of the railway network that spans the England, Scotland, and Wales.
Originally designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker and released
for the rail traffic on March 4, 1890, this bridge today holds significant
importance to the Scottish nation where it was voted as Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in 2016.
The history of bridge design would not be the same without the presence of
the Iron Bridge, a first bridge made out of cast iron. Located in the
Shropshire, heart of England’s Industrial Revolution, and spanning the deep
Severn Gorge, this bridge managed to revitalize private and commercial travel in the region and
popularize the use of cast iron as the construction material
. Built with the oversight of the designer Thomas Farnolls Pritchard
between 1777 and 1779, this bridge immediately popularized the region as
the viable tourist destination. Today, the bridge and the surrounding
Severn Gorge area are protected as cultural and heritage sites of highest
importance.
Mackinac Bridge
The defining feature of the Straits of Mackinac is an
8-kilometer-long bridge known previously as Big Mac or Mighty Mac. Constructed in 1957 under the oversight of the
designer and David B. Steinman after decades of deliberations and delays,
this bridge dramatically reduced the traffic congestion in the area,
putting out of service numerous ferries that transported people and cars
across that part of Great Lakes. Although the bridge has a simple design,
it’s staggering size puts it apart from other similar bridges – it has a
central span of 1,158 meters and is the longest suspension bridge with two
towers between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere.
Ancient Roman architects created many impressive structures, but one of
their most enduring ones was the aqueduct bridge that crosses Gardon River
in southern France. As part of the larger Nîmes aqueduct,
this 48.8-meter-tall aqueduct bridge with more than 50
arches was instrumental for transporting clear water from springs of Ucetia
to the city of Nemausus and its 50 thousand inhabitants. After centuries of
use, the lowest tier of the bridge was partially modified to allow
transport of people and was augmented by a side bridge with traditional
decking in the 18th century. Today, Pont du Gard is regarded as a national treasure of France and one of its most popular
tourist destinations.
The scenic view of the city center of the Italian city of Florence is
greatly enhanced with the presence of one of its most prized structures –
ancient Ponte Vecchio bridge that has for hundreds of years housed stores
of goldsmiths and artisans. Enhanced in numerous ways throughout the ages,
this incredible example of early medieval Italian engineering stands tall
today as one of the most famous examples of European Renaissance.