Brief History of Bridges

By caleb.lane
  • 1300 BCE

    Kazarma Bridge, Arkadiko Greece

    Kazarma Bridge, Arkadiko Greece
    As one of the oldest arch bridges, the Mycenaean bridge was built during the last phase of the Bronze age in ancient Greece and is still used today.
  • 642 BCE

    Pons Sublicius

    Pons Sublicius
    One of the earliest known ancient Roman beam bridges built in 642 BCE across the Tiber River.
  • 600

    Shogun/Shinkyo Bridge, Nikko Japan

    Shogun/Shinkyo Bridge, Nikko Japan
    The Shinkyo bridge is one of the oldest known cantilever bridges which was originally constructed around 600AD in Nikko, Japan. It was rebuilt in 1636 and has undergone extensive renovations in the 1900s due to its destruction from a flood.

  • Rialto Bridge, Venice Italy

    Rialto Bridge, Venice Italy
    The Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy was designed by Antonio da Ponte in 1591 and is one of the oldest bridges spanning the Grand Canal. The bridge was rebuilt several times to provide better access to Rialto, the primary financial centre of Venice.

  • Ironbridge, Coalbrooke England

    Ironbridge, Coalbrooke England
    The first bridge built exclusively of iron was designed by Thomas Pritchard in 1779 and spanned the Severn River. In 1795 the ironbridge was the only bridge in the Severn region to survive catastrophic flooding.

  • Warren, Howe and Pratt Truss designs

    Warren, Howe and Pratt Truss designs
    The Warren truss was patented by James Warren and Willoughby Theobald Monzani in 1848.
    In 1846, William Howe patented the Howe truss design where the structural beams slope towards the centre of the bridge.
    Thomas Pratt and his father Caleb Pratt introduced the Pratt truss in 1844 which is made up of vertical members and diagonals that slope down towards the centre, unlike the Howe truss.

  • Niagara Bridge, Niagara River New York

    Niagara Bridge, Niagara River New York
    Roebling organised the construction of a 246-metre-span railway bridge in 1855. The bridge exceeded the majority of engineering knowledge of this time and was used for 42 years before being replaced due to greater needs.

  • Valtschielbach bridge, Schiers Switzerland

    Valtschielbach bridge, Schiers Switzerland
    Constructed in 1926, Maillarts Valtschielbach bridge exhibits an extremely thin arch that is permitted due to its stiff deck beam. Of nineteen proposed designs, Maillarts arch design was considered the least costly and most elegant. The bridge was destroyed in 1927 due to an Avalanche but still stands as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

  • Syndey Harbour Bridge, Sydney Australia

    Syndey Harbour Bridge, Sydney Australia
    Sydney Harbour Bridge in New South Wales Australia is a warren truss arch bridge designed by Sir Ralph Freeman with a span of 495 metres supported by a pair of large stone towers at either end. The construction began in 1924 and finished in 1932 due to the difficulty of building in the harbour's deep waters. Temporary supports were impractical meaning the steel arch was assembled by cantilevering out from each side of the port and meeting in the middle.