Development of Bridges

Trees that had fallen naturally over streams or rivers.

2900 BCE

Instead of a tree, planks may have been used.

2700 BCE

Stones soon replaced wood due to them being stronger and lasting longer.

2700 BCE

Planks placed between stepping stones to allow wider streams or rivers to be crossed. Logs tied together would have formed wider decks to cross over.

2000 BCE

First Suspension Bridge built.

1741 BCE

Romans developed a way to make stone bridges.

870 BCE

Towns and cities grew more and more and bridges needed to carry bigger loads. Romans invented the viaduct, a road supported on several arches made of stone.

First forms of Cantilever and Beam bridges in the Stone Age.

800 BCE

Stone Age people wanted to explore better grazing land and had to find safer ways to cross rivers and streams without getting wet. Placing flat slabs of stone and a pile of rocks in the center of the river as support, then laying another slab of stone to support the sides is how they experimented.

Italian architect invented the Truss Bridge.

1570

First big suspension bridge.

1741

First Cantilever bridge.

1867