Developement of bridges By Skyewatson24 595 The Chinese stone bridge built; Zhaozhou Bridge Period: 595 to 1927 Developement of bridges 1523 first wooden footbridge led across Lake Zürich 1600 Inca civilization used rope bridges, a simple type of suspension bridge. 1779 The Iron Bridge, built in Coalbrookdale, England 1900 Industrial Revolution brings truss systems of wrought iron. 1910 Enters steel, with its higher tensile strength, which replaces the iron and allows for much larger bridges. 1927 The first welded road bridge in the world was built.