The Most Famous Bridges in the World
A bridge is a structure constructed to connect two places without blocking the way beneath it. A bridge can be built over a road, water body or a valley. Bridges are made of different materials and have different designs. Bridges may be classified depending on its mechanism to hold weight, materials used, and style among other parameters. The most commonly used classifications method is their ability to bear weight. Some of the common types of bridges include arch bridges, beam bridges, truss bridges, suspension bridges, and cantilever bridges
10. Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid of suspension and cable-stayed bridge located in New York, US and it is 1,595.5 feet long and 85 feet wide. The bridge is suspended at 276.5 feet above the water. The construction of the bridge started in 1869, and was completed in 1883. It was officially opened on May 24, 1883. The bridge covers the East River stretch and connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. The bridge has six lanes of the roadway and was officially named the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915 and is maintained by the New York City Department of transportation. In 1964, the bridge was named a National Historic Landmark and in 1972 as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. John Augustus Roebling designed Brooklyn Bridge.
9. Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is situated in London, and it is a hybrid of the drawbridge and suspension bridge. Tower Bridge is 801 feet long and 213 feet tall. The bridge was built between 1886 and 1894 and was opened on June 30, 1894. The bridge spans across River Thames near the Tower of London and has often been confused with the London Bridge which is close. The drawbridge is drawn about 1,000 times a year.
8. Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge crosses Port Jackson in Sydney Harbour, and it connects the Sydney CBD to the North Shore. The bridge is a through-type arch bridge, and because of its arched base, the bridge has the nickname Coathanger. The bridge is 3,770 feet long, 160 feet wide, and 440 feet tall. The view of the harbor, the Sydney Opera house, and the bridge, is a famous picture of Sydney and Australia at large. The bridge holds the Bradfield Highway, North Shore railway line, a pedestrian way, and a cycleway. Dorman Long and Co Limited, a British firm, designed and built the bridge. The highway has eight lanes, and the railway has two tracks. Construction of the bridge began on July 28, 1923, and was completed on January 19, 1932. The bridge was opened on March 19, 1932, and has a bridge climb which is a tourist attraction. The climb allows tourist to climb the bridge’s southern half.
7. Stari Most
Stari Most translates to Old Bridge and this is because the bridge is a rebuilt 16th-century bridge. Stari Most is located in Mostar, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. The bridge cuts across river Neretva and is a pedestrian bridge connecting two regions of the city. The old bridge was destroyed on November 9, 1993, during the Croat-Bosniak war, after 427 years. The rebuilding of the bridge begun soon after the war and the new bridge was officially opened on July 23, 2004. Mimar Hayruddin, a novice and a student to Mimar Sinan was the architect who built the old bridge. The bridge is arched and is 98 feet long and 13 feet wide. The reconstruction of the bridges was a joint effort of UNESCO, World Bank, World Monument Fund, and Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Other funding came from Croatia, Italy, Turkey, Netherlands, Bosnia, and the Council of European Development Banks. The cost of reconstruction was $15.5 million.
6. Rialto Bridge
Rialto Bridge is also known as the Ponte de Rialto, and crosses the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy and connects San Polo to San Marco. Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges along the Grand Canal. It was first built in the 12th century and has been rebuilt severally over the years. The bridge is a pedestrian stone arch bridge which is 104.3 feet long, 29.2 feet wide, and 24 feet tall at the arch. Antonio da Ponte designed the present bridge, and its construction began in 1588 and was completed in 1591. The bridge is one of the major tourist attractions in Venice.
5. Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge stretches between Golden Gate Strait, which joins the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. The bridge connects Marin County to San Francisco, California. The bridge is a suspension bridge and was named one of the wonders of the modern world. The bridge has been named the most beautiful and most photographed bridge in the world by the Frommer's travel guide. The bridge is made of steel and is 8,981 feet long, 746 feet tall, and 90 feet wide. Construction of the bridge begun on January 5, 1933, was completed on April 19, 1937, and it was opened on May 27, 1937. On June 18, 1987, the bridge was named a California historic landmark; it is also a major American landmark. The bridge is the second most used bridge for suicide in the world, though suicide barriers have been built starting in 2017.
4. Confederation Bridge
Confederation Bridge crosses the Abegweit Passage in Northumberland Strait in Eastern Canada. The bridge links New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island in Canada. Construction of the bridge begun in October 1993 and was completed in May 1997. It was officially opened on May 31, 1997 and it is 42,240 feet long having two lanes. Before it was officially named, the bridge was known as the fixed link by the people in Prince Edward. The bridge was named Confederation Bridge on September 27, 1996. Vehicles leaving Prince Edward Island are required to pay a toll fee to cross the bridge.
3. Alcantara Bridge
The Alcantara Bridge crosses the Tagus River at Alcantara in Spain. The bridge is also known as Trajan’s Bridge at Alcantara and is a Roman arch bridge built of stone. The bridge was built by the order of the Roman emperor Trajan, between 104 and 106 CE. The bridge is 596 feet long, 28 feet wide and 147 feet tall. Alcantara Bridge was designed by Caius Julius Lacer and has been damaged severally by war through the years.
2. Tsing Ma Bridge
Tsing Ma Bridge crosses Ma Wan channel in Hong Kong. The bridge is named after the two islands it connects; MaWan and Tsing Yi. It has both a roadway and a railway and is the largest suspension bridge with two decks. The bridge is 4,518 feet long and 676 feet tall, making it the longest bridge with a rail. The top deck of the bridge has six lanes, and the bottom deck has two sheltered roadways and two railway tracks. Mott MacDonald and construction conpany designed the bridge. The construction began in June 1992 and was completed in May 1997. Tsing Ma Bridge was opened on May 22, 1997.
1. Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of Sighs is situated in Venice, Italy. The bridge spans the Rio di Palazzo and links the interrogation rooms in Doge's palace to the new prison. Antonio Contino designed the bridge. The bridge's construction began in 1600 and was completed in 1603. The bridge of sighs is an enclosed arch bridge made of white limestone, and it has windows. The bridge was supposed to be the last view for prisoners, who would sigh at the beauty of Venice, before being taken to their cells hence the name Bridge of Sighs.
