World's Most Amazing Bridges
By dorotix, June 2nd 2010 in Travel Photos Comments (126)
StumbleFrom art deco concrete constructions to ultra modern futuristic designs, some of the bridges are examples of the world's finest architecture. Whether crossing the bays, spanning the gorges, or winding through the cities, the bridges are also examples of the world's most demanding engineering challenges.
See some of the most amazing bridges on the globe.
1. The Brooklyn Bridge
New York. USA.
Brooklyn Bridge at Night. By andrew mace
An iconic part of the New York skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the USA. Designed to span the East River, the bridge was completed in 1883 and until 1903 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
2. The Millau Viaduct
South of France
By tibchris
Only 37 m (121 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building in New York, the Millau Viaduct is the tallest bridge in the world. 343.0 m (1,125 ft) tall and 2,460 m (8,071 ft) long, this giant construction, spanning the valley of the river Tarn, is one of the most impressive road-bridges on the globe. It was opened to traffic in December 2004.
3. The Helix Bridge
Singapore
The Helix Bridge. By williamcho
The Helix Bridge is an ultra modern double-helix structure that emerged in Singapore in April 2010. Besides its function of linking Marina Centre with Marina Bay in the city, the bridge also serves as a gallery and an observation platform, providing amazing views of Singapore.
4. The Millenium Bridge
London. UK.
Millenium Bridge. By marksteelenz
Among London's numerous bridges, the Millennium Footbridge a.k.a. the Wobbly Bridge, is the first pedestrian-only bridge crossing the River Thames. Linking the City of London, near St. Paul's' Cathedral and the Tate Modern Gallery, the bridge is one of the most pleasant walking paths in the city. It was opened in 2000, but due to some unexpected lateral vibration it was closed after two days of its opening and successfully reopened in 2002.
5. The Rainbow Bridge
Tokyo. Japan.
Rainbow Bridge. By Jukka Vuokko
The Rainbow Bridge linking Tokyo with Odaiba, the city's waterfront development, is one of the most romantic and beautiful landmarks of the metropolis. Completed in 1993, the bridge is almost 800 m long and 126 m high and its towers are designed to harmonize with the skyline of Tokyo. At night, the bridge glitters in different colors, using solar energy accumulated during the day.
6. The Navajo Bridge
Arizona. USA.
Navajo Bridge. By Lee Sie
For almost 600 miles (970 km), the Navajo Bridge is the only roadway crossing of the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon apart from the Glen Canyon Bridge. The original bridge was completed in 1929. However, due to the heavy traffic, the local authorities decided to construct a new steel arch bridge that was opened in 1995.
7.The Coronado Bridge
San Diego. USA.
Coronado Bridge. By Lee Sie
One of the most amazing bridges in California, the San Diego Coronado Bridge is a 3.4 km (2.1 mi) long part of State Route 75. Reaching a maximum height of 200 feet (61m), the span is tall enough to allow the U.S. Navy ships to pass underneath it. The construction of the bridge was commenced in 1967 and lasted two years.
8. The Tower Bridge
London. UK.
Tower Bridge. By vgm8383
The icon of London, the Tower Bridge is an amazing bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames. Completed at the end of the 19th century, the bridge still serves as a busy and vital crossing of the river. 40,000 people cross the bridge every day and its bascules rise around 1,000 times a year.
9. The Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge
São Paulo. Brazil.
Ponte Estaiada, São Paulo.Brazil. By marcos leal
Within two years since its opening in 2008, the Octavio bridge, has become one of the most recognizable and attractive landmarks of the city of São Paulo. The unusual form of the bridge deck of an "X" makes the construction appear as a very modern and sophisticated development. The Octavio is the only bridge in the world where two curved tracks are supported by a single mast.
10. The Pennybacker Bridge
Austin. USA.
By CraigAllen
The Pennybacker Bridge is a part of Loop 360 highway, considered one of the most scenic routes in Texas, winding through the hills of West Austin. The beautiful construction, more commonly known as the "360 Bridge", has a uniform weathered rust finish that blends in with the surrounding hills and the lake. The bridge was officially opened for traffic in 1982.
11. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Budapest. Hungary.
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest. By Christopher Chan
Linking Buda, the western part of the Hungarian capital, with Pest, the eastern part of the city, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge on the Danube River was the first permanent bridge across the river, opened in 1849. At the time of its construction, the bridge was considered a wonder of the world and a symbol of advancement. Today, it still impresses with its art deco design and grandeur.
12. Hangzhou Bay Bridge
Hangzhou Bay. China.
By hto2008
Connecting the municipalities of Jiaxing and Ningbo in China, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, of 22 miles (35.6 km), is the longest trans-oceanic bridge in the world. This impressively long highway bridge was opened in May 2008. Thanks to the bridge's opening, the highway travel distance between Shanghai and Ningbo was reduced from 4 to 2.5 hours.
13. The Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco. USA.
The Golden Gate Bridge at Dusk. By Stuck in Customs
A symbol of San Francisco and the USA, the Golden Gate Bridge is truly a beautiful piece of architecture. No wonder it was ranked fifth on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects. Apparently, the striking orange color was originally used as a sealant, but the locals persuaded Irving Morrow, the designer of the bridge, to keep it vibrant orange instead of going grey or silver.
14. The Henderson Waves Bridge
Singapore
Henderson Waves, Singapore. By yeowatzup
Running 36 meters above Henderson Road in Singapore, the Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian-only bridge in the city, of a length of 274 meters (899 ft). It comes as no surprise that the absolutely extraordinary form of the wave-shape steel ribs that snake through the metropolis was awarded Design of the Year for the President's Design Award at the Singapore Design Week 2009.
15. Forth Railway Bridge
Scotland
Forth Railway Bridge. By Nestor M
The Forth Railway Bridge, connecting Fife council area with Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is the world's longest cantilever bridge for rail transport of a length of 2.5 km. (1.5 mile). Opened in 1890, it was the first bridge in Britain built entirely of steel and today it is still regarded as an engineering marvel.
Ever heard of the Sydney Harbor Bridge
?
What about the Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of the worlds most recognised icons?
you forgot the Mackinaw Bridge
these aussies..
almost as bad as the amerikans!!
How aboot the Humber Bridge? It was the worlds largest single span suspension bridge for 16 years (it has since been relegated to 5th) and remains the worlds largest bridge which you can cross on foot.
Great List, I agree, what about the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a great looking bridge over the best harbour in the world, sorry list is incomplete.
What the hell was with that stupid austin bridge... f*ing texans thing their sh*t don't stink, when its really just sh*t.
Sydney harbour bridge lol!! you must be joking, thats an unremarkably ugly chunk of metal, you'd have to be an aussie to like it
how about erasmus bridge in Rotterdam
Really? The 360 bridge? I work just down the street from this bridge and while it is a decent bridge... there's no way it's one of the top 15 in the world.
The Slauerhoffbrug bridge in Holland is pretty cool to.
Mijat: You're just jealous, it's ok.
The bridge is a very iconic as it features prominently as apart of the harbour vista. During New Years celebrations, it's the first landmark the world sees with fireworks. It's the world's widest long-span bridge. It is also the tallest steel arch bridge. I think that's pretty remarkable.
(Talking about the Sydney Habour Bridge)
I'm surprised Confederation Bridge isn't here. It's a 12.9 kilometer long bridge which connects the island province of P.E.I. to mainland Canada.
this is quite possibly the most pointless article/list/post I've ever seen..
what good is "world's most amazing bridges" without any pictures!
another ommission is the tampa bay bridge
Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Google it, what a beautiful piece of engineering!
Check out Storebaeltsbroen, the 3rd longest suspension bridge in the world
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Storeb%C3%A6ltsbroen_close.jp...
well if you're going to gush about the Sydney Harbor Bridge, then you should mention the bridge that inspired it, the Hell Gate Bridge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_Gate_Bridge
why dont we put every single bridge in the entire world on this page... would that make everyone happy
Um, WOW, I see pictures. One for each bridge. Check your browser.
how about the New River Gorge Bridge in WV...longest arch bridge in the US, and up until a couple years ago was the longest on the world
Well, it’s amazing. The miracle has been done. Hat’s off. Well done, as we know that “hard work always pays off”, after a long struggle with sincere effort it’s done.
Agreed JR. I stunning sight to see!
Those are some nice bridges, but quite a few don't even come close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Google it. It's a worthy construction.
The Forth Road Bridge (right beside the Forth Rail Bridge) is also a marvel of Scottish engineering. When you see the two together...now that's something!
Tara Bridge in Montenegro, immpressive due to the time period it was made in.
http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Design_Steel_Structures_I/1_introduct...
I wanna see the rainbow bridge in person!
what about the Sydney Harbour Bridge?
What about the Mackinaw bridge in Michigan?
Thank you. I really enjoyed your page. Congratulations!
Impressive! I would add the Samuel Beckett bridge in Dublin to the list (and no, I'm not from there).
Author is clearly American, if not from Texas.
loved the erasmus bridge in rotterdam, not on the list but you should check it out!
Why does everyone I see online have to be so disrespectful towards Americans? Not all of us are incompetent idiots.
Ha'penyy bridge in Dublin
Wow, the Bosphorus bridge is not on the list. You know, the bridge that connects two continents together?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus_Bridge
The Clifton suspension bridge (first one ever) in Bristol (England)
http://tinyurl.com/2va78qx
The Ha'penny Bridge is awesome
http://www.jndstravelog.com/Europe/Dublin2006/Images/HaPennyBridge.jpg
The Samuel Becket Bridge is too - it's shaped like a Harp!
http://www.ddda.ie/files/20091216123233Samuel_Beckett_Bridge_with_Conference_Cen...
Don't you know the Calatrava piece of art in Jerusalem?
You forgot about the Sunshine Skyway Bridge! The LONGEST bridge in the US!
The Golden Gate bridge is stupid, it isn't impressive in the least.
The Mackinaw Bridge is longer and much prettier than the Golden Gate.
the first one's the best..hands down.
the first one's the best..hands down.
Nice, but what about the amazing Erasmus bridge, Rotterdam, the Netherlands!
no! number one istanbul boğaz köprüsü
try Googlin' Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion... that's another impressive work..
i know, i know but how can you forget the bridge from prince edward island to the mainland. i think it's name is confederation bridge
The New River gorge bridge beats out the one from Texas easy, its the largest single Arch bridge in the world, it has its own day here in WV, its called bridge day
http://www.officialbridgeday.com/new-river-gorge-bridge
why is the brooklyn bridge number one? cleary everyone knows the golden gate bridge is more iconic and beautiful than the brooklyn! that is just wrong. golden gate bridge should be number one! and i agree the new river gorge bridge is amazing it should have been been up there too!
If we're bitching about the bridges picked, the Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge near Kobe, Japan needs to be mentioned. It's the world's longest suspension bridge span (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akashi_Kaiky%C5%8D_Bridge)
I think this list should be renamed "World's Most Visually-Pleasing Bridges - In Submitter's Opinion"
Very nice list, great pictures too. And I agree with "Hey" just have a list with every bridge in the world so all the whiners will shut up.
I enjoyed this article the information and pictures were great.
This article is so US-centric.
And what about the Swinging Bridge over the Little Red River on Highway 110 in Heber Springs, AK? It was a great place to watch the rainbow trout swimming. Guess it didn't make the list cause some silly people from Memphis, TN started the bridge swinging so wildly that it broke apart and dumped the Memphians into the river. That'll teach 'em!
None come close to Bont Llyn bridge in Gyffin
What a bunch of silly comments. I enjoyed the list.
Jeff Bridge has always my favourite. Oh sorry, I meant Jeff Bridges! D'uh.
there is no way that the brooklyn bridge should be #1
what about the world's largest arch bridge? The Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, P.R.C.
No matter what you people think about the list, maybe the person who made it, hasn't had the opportunity to see all the other bridges. To this person, these were amazing bridges in the world.
But I feel quite lucky becase not only did I get to see those bridges (some I've never heard of) but I googled all the other bridges that people mentioned. I got a lot more than the original 15 and I got to see some more really magnificent creations. The town I live in, La Crosse, Wi. we have 2 bridges that are side by side. One from the 1930's the other from this decade. It just goes over the Mississippi River. The old one is nicknamed "The Big Blue Cheese Grater" because it used to have an open steel deck in the middle of the span.
What about Stari Most - The Mostar Bridge - in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Possibly one if the most beautiful bridges in the world!
Mostar was named by "the bridge keepers" (natively: mostari) who kept the bridge over river Neretva. During Turkish occupation, The Old Bridge was built and became one of the symbols of Mostar. The bridge was destroyed by Croatian Defence Council units during the Bosnian-Herzegovian War, on November 9, 1993 at 10:15 am.
A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge to the original design, and restore surrounding structures and historic neighbourhoods was initiated in 1999 and mostly completed by Spring 2004. In July 2005, UNESCO finally inscribed the Old Bridge and its closest vicinity onto the World Heritage List.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/placeinsun/2047244317/
Great photos! But... Where's the Riallto Bridge of Venice? The Charles Bridge of Prague? But to name 2 that should be up there before the 360!
There is a Rail bridge in Prince George British Columbia that has existed since the late 1800's. It is the only Draw bridge in Canada and it once was part of Highway 16 (Trans Canada or Yellowhead Highway) and is the only rail bridge to have hosted both rail and vehicular traffic at the same time. The draw bridge opened just once in the early 1900's to allow the passage of the last Steamboat from British Columbia's Interior.
Nobody but nobody has mentioned Biffins bridge.
Interesting
clearly you need to look at the work of Santiago Calatrava
What about the Confederation Bridge in connecting New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island, Canada?
Mackinac Bridge? Longest bridge in western hemisphere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Bridge
why is the brooklyn bridge first? i live in the city and trust me the bridge is not that great
why is brooklyn bridge number one? im from NYC and its not THAT great, the rainbow bridge and the Helix bridge are way cooler. maybe this list shouldn't have an order
Karl's bridge in Prague is quite beautiful as well
what about the lee valley viaduct
and where is the bosphorous bridge
hey u forget DND delhi
In my opinion, the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, is the best bridge in world. You walk where Dante, Leonardo and Michelangelo walked. What could be better than that?
What about the bridge to terabithia?
And what about the Puente Nuevo in Ronda Spain, it is 240 years old and stands 98 meters tall, and entirely made of rock.
where the macinaw bridge its the biggest suspention bridge ever
These jackasses are so unreal! ponte vecchio florence? harbor bridge, sydney? the list could go on...clearly bubble enclosed americans!
very nice!!!!!!! hope i can see those bridges in da future....
cool, I can make it much better then them it just about time bro & sis
i think the 3rd best bridge should be the first one
What about the Bridge of 33 Arches in Isfahan, Iran? Beautiful bridge built over 400 years ago.
hell yes coronado bridge.
Its soo technical
It is rather interesting for me to read that post. Thanks for it. I like such themes and anything connected to this matter. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.
Katherine Pingtown
Gateshead Millenium Bridge- look it up on youtube, it looks incredible when it opens.
I have to agree with the person who said the Humber Bridge should be included.
i like numer 3 and 14 there sooooo cool
I live in Austin. That bridge on 360 in no way belongs on this list. That's just crazy.
I recommend you to look at the bridge between two Asia and Europe. Wonderful icon of the city.
http://wikimapia.org/81906/Bosphorus-Bridge
Haha... What a rubbish list! So many missing...
the list is good its just that all of you have a stick up your bum or something. to me negativity is so much worse than the poor schooling in America, besides we don't need to know geography of the rest of the world because we already have the coolest bridges lol.
very nice.
interestin
These are all beautiful and deserving of mention.I would like to add another to the list.The New River Gorge bridge on I-64 in West Virginia is a great one also,just my opinion,I love them all.Bridges are where engineering and art meet.
I work in Austin, TX and I gotta say that the Pennybacker Bridge does NOT belong on this list. It's quite beautiful, but c'mon guys.
Great List, I agree, what about the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a great looking bridge over the best harbour in the world, sorry list is incomplete.
what about the bridges to Key West, FL
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