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The Glen Canyon Bridge
Constructed in conjunction with the Glen Canyon Dam, which is on the Colorado River at the foot of Lake Powell near Page, Arizona, the Glen Canyon Bridge was constructed between 1957 and 1959 to provide vehicular access to both sides of the river for workers constructing the dam. Built by the Kiewit-Judson Pacific Murphy Company, the bridge was at the time of its dedication on February 9, 1959, the highest steel-arch bridge in the world. The length of the deck is 1,271 ft (387.4 m), the span of its arch is 1,028 ft (313.3 m), the vertical rise of the arch is 165 ft (50.3 m), and the bridge rises 700 ft (213 m) above the river. Photograph by Galen Rowell/Mountain Light/IPN
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The Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge)
Designed by Claude Deschamps in collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Billaudel and constructed between 1819 and 1822, the Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge) is a vehicular arch bridge that crosses the Garonne River in Bordeaux, France. The bridge was constructed on the order of Napoleonissued in 1810to facilitate his armys crossing of the Garonne during the Peninsular War. In 1811 the civil engineer Claude Deschamps arrived in Bordeaux, but he was not named the director of the bridge construction project until 1812. He would be assisted by Billaudel, his son-in-law, who was also a civil engineer. The project was interrupted in 1814 by the fall of the French empire and the abdication of Napoleon, and construction did not resume until five years later. The Pont de Pierre is 487 m (1,595.7 ft) long and incorporates 17 spans. Photograph by Corbis |
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The Hernando DeSoto Bridge
Completed in 1972, the Hernando DeSoto Bridge is one of only two Mississippi River crossings in the Memphis, Tennessee, area. A steel-arch vehicular bridge, it is a vital transportation link, carrying Interstate 40 across the Mississippi. Because the bridge is located on the southeast edge of the New Madrid seismic zonewhich is considered a high-risk seismic zoneits seismic retrofit became a top priority of the Federal Highway Administration, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and the Arkansas Department of Transportation, which determined that a seismic retrofit was essential and in 2003 joined forces to complete the seismic upgrade, which included the replacement of existing bearings with isolation bearings, strengthening of the footings and columns, column cap enlargement, webwall modifications, replacement or strengthening of lateral bracing, strengthening of steel cross frames, truss strengthening, and replacement of existing joints with modular swivel expansion joints. Photograph by Corbis
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Vasco da Gama Bridge
Ponte Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Bridge), which crosses the estuary of the Tagus River between Sacavm and Montijo near Lisbon, Portugal, isat 17,200 m (56,381 ft)one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in Europe. Designed by Armando Rito in collaboration with Michel Virlogeux (who also engineered the Millau Viaduct, which graces the calendars cover), the bridge officially opened on March 29, 1998just before the opening of the Expo 98 Worlds Fair and 500 years after Vasco da Gamas discovery of the sea route from Europe to India. The bridge was designed to withstand an earthquake four and a half times stronger than the 1755 Liston earthquake, which is estimated to have registered 8.7 on the Richter scale. Its longest span is 450 m (1,476 ft), its life expectancy is 120 years, and due to its length it was designed to take into account the earths curvature so that the piers could be sited correctly. Photograph by Alan Baxter for Getty Images
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The Detroit-Superior Bridge
Crossing the Cuyahoga River and connecting downtown Cleveland, Ohio, with the citys near west side, the Detroit-Superior Bridge was, at the time of its opening in 1918, the largest double-decked concrete bridge in the world. The bridge, which spans 3,112 ft (948.5 m) on two levels, was designed to accommodate automobile traffic on the upper level and streetcar traffic on the lower level and incorporated wide pedestrian sidewalks. A subsequent road-widening project reduced the width of the sidewalks, but in 2003 the Cleveland Planning Commission approved the Detroit-Superior Bridge Project to convert one of the outer traffic lanes into a suspended park of sorts, featuring a wide pedestrian esplanade, sheltered seating, and bike lanes. The design team was composed of City Architecture, Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Cleveland Public Art. Photograph by Corbis
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The Ohnaruto Bridge
Designed by the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority and completed in 1985, the Ohnaruto Bridge is a vehicular suspension bridge on the route connecting Kobe with Naruto, Tokushima, Japan. It has a main span of 876 m (2,874 ft), and although it is one of the largest bridges in the world, it is dwarfed by Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which is on the same route. Although the bridge was designed to carry automobiles on its upper deck and traIns on its lower deck, the train link was never completed. Photograph by Akira Kaede for Getty
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The Ohnaruto Bridge
The Queensboro Bridgealso known as the 59th Street Bridgeis a double-decked cantilever bridge that crosses New York Citys East River, linking Manhattan with the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City and crossing over Roosevelt Island. As early as 1838 serious proposals for a bridge linking New York Citys Manhattan to Long Island City in the borough of Queens were put forth, but it was not until the city established its Department of Bridges that a successful plan emerged. Opened on March 30, 1909, the bridgeoriginally known as the Blackwells Island Bridge for an earlier name for Roosevelt Islandis 3,724 ft (1,135.08 m) long and was then considered the greatest cantilevered bridge in the world. Photograph by Corbis
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Victor Emmanuel II Bridge
Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II (Victor Emmanuel II Bridge), which crosses the Tiber River in Rome, Italy, is an arch bridge that was dedicated on June 5, 1911, during the 50th-anniversary year of Italys unity and was named for Italys first king, who completed the countrys unification by acquiring Venice in 1866 and Rome in 1870. Designed by the architect Ennio De Rossi, the triple-arch stone bridge incorporates four columnstwo on each sideand four white marble sculptures over the pillars of the central arch that represent the unity of Italy, liberty, oppression defeated, and loyalty to the constitution. The bridge is a natural extension of Romes Corso Vittorio. Photograph by Tom Brakefield for Getty
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge
Fourteen years in the making, the final link in the Baltimore, Maryland, beltway (Interstate 695)the Francis Scott Key Bridgewas finally completed in 1977. Crossing the Patapsco River from Hawkins Point to Soller Point, the truss bridge arches over the Baltimore Harbor and stretches for a length of 1.6 miles (2.57 km). Its main span is 1,200 ft (365.7 M) long and 185 ft (56.3) high. Its name reflects its proximity to the place where Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry, a view that inspired him to compose The Star-Spangled Banner. Its steel has no expansion joints, making it the second-longest continuous truss in the United States. Photograph by Paul Souders for Getty |
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The Puente de Besal (Bridge of Besal)
Constructed during the 12th century, the Puente de Besal (Bridge of Besal), which crosses the Fluvi River in the town of Besal within the province of Girona, in Catalonia, Spain, is a vestige of the Catalan culture of the Middle Ages. This romanesque arch vehicular bridge is one of the most prized attractions of Besal, which is situated approximately 20 km (12.4 mi) west of Figueres. Because the bridge was constructed on existing rocks in the riverbed it is distinguished by an unusual angular form. Photograph by Gavin Hellier for Getty |
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The Fort Pitt Bridge
The Fort Pitt Bridge, which crosses the Monongahela River and, in conjunction with the Fort Pitt Tunnel, forms what is known as the Gateway to Pittsburgh, is a steel arch bridge with a total length of 367.9 m (1,207 ft) and a main span length of 228.6 m (750 ft). Engineered by George S. Richardson and opened on June 19, 1959, the bridge and tunnel were recently rehabilitateda project overseen by a team assembled by HDR and completed in 2003. One of the most significant components of the bridge rehabilitation was the incorporation of an innovative new Pennsylvania bridge barriera more open barrier that affords those traveling across the bridge more spectacular views. Photograph by Corbis |
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Laviolette Bridge
Named in honor of the founder of the city of Trois-Riviresthe Sieur de Laviolettethe Pont Laviolette (Laviolette Bridge) is a cantilever arch vehicular bridge that crosses the St. Lawrence River between Trois-Rivires, Quebec, Canada, and Bcancour, Quebec. Opened on December 20, 1967, the Pont Laviolette is the sole bridge crossing the river between Montreal and Quebec City and thus serves as a critical link between the rivers north and south shores. Its total length is 2,707 m (8,881.2 ft) and its longest span measures 335 m (1,099 ft). This steel bridge does not rust because niobium is a component of the steel of which it is made. Photograph by Dynamic Graphics
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