The development of bridges

Charles Bridge

1357 BCE

Charles Bridge is a historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. This bridge was originally called the Prague Bridge but has been "Charles Bridge" since 1870. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava until 1841. This "solid-land" connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe.

Karamagara bridge

600 BCE

The Karamagara Bridge was built sometime in the 5th or 6th century during the era of the Byzantine Empire. The bridge consisted of a single pointed arch and is possibly the earliest known example of a pointed arch bridge.Karamagara Bridge was part of larger Roman road that led to the city of Melitene in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The bridge is no longer usable today because it was submerged after the completion of the Keban Dam in 1945.

Bridge near Limyra

300 BCE

The Bridge is believed to be one of the oldest segmented arch bridges in the world. The bridge is located near the ancient city of Limyra and is the largest civil engineering structure of antiquity in the region. The way the arches of the bridge were built gives the bridge an unusually flat profile. Due to this fact and the lack of comparable structures, it has been hard to date the construction of the bride, which is estimated to be sometime in the 3rd century.

Band-e Kaiser

270 BCE

The Band-e Kaisar of Bridge of Valerian was a Roman stone arch bridge built in Shushtar, Iran.At the time it was built, around 260 – 270 CE, the bridge was combined with a dam – making Band-e Kaisar the first of its kind in the country. Band-e Kaisar was named after the Roman Emperor Valerian, who was captured with his entire army by the Sassanid ruler Shapur I. The dam bridge was used until the late 19th century and today Band-e Kaisar is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site in the area.

Cendere Bridge

200 BCE

The Cendere Bridge is a Roman bridge. It is located near the ancient city of Arsameia. It is dated to around 200 BCE. A legion of the Imperial Roman army, Legio XVI Gallica, is credited with building the bride so they could begin a war with Parthia. Four Corinthian-style columns were added to bridge n honor of the Roman Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus, his second wife Julia Domna, and their sons Caracalla and Publius Septimius Geta. The Cendere Bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ponte Sant Angelo

134 BCE

The bridge was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to span the Tiber River from the city center in Rome to his newly constructed mausoleum. It was designed by the famous Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini and it was completed in 134 CE. The bridge’s most distinctive feature are the numerous angel statues standing on the bridge’s pillars. Today, the bridge is solely used by pedestrians and provides a scenic view of the Tiber River and the Castel Sant’Angelo.

Tarr Steps

1000

The Tarr Steps are an ancient clapper bridge located across the River Barle in Exmoor National Park in Somerset, England. No one knows for sure how old the bridge is but the Tarr Steps could date back to at least 1000 BCE. The Tarr Steps consist of 17 giant slabs and are considered the best example of a clapper bridge. According to local legend, the Tarr Steps were built by the Devil so he could sunbathe on the stones. It has has been damaged in recent years by flood waters but has been rebuilt.

The Arkadiko bridge

1300

The Arkadiko Bridge is believed to be the oldest existing bridge in the world. It is an arch bridge and one of the oldest of this type still used by the local population. In Mycenaean times, the Arkadiko Bridge served as a highway between the cities of Tiryns and Epidauros.The Arkadiko Bridge was built sometime around 1300 – 1190 BCE and was part of a larger highway in the area. There are three other corbel arch bridges near Arkadiko, all similar in design and age.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Mar 19, 1932

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an Australian heritage-listed steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as an iconic image of Sydney, and of Australia itself. The bridge is nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Jan 5, 1933

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate,1.6 km strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and the United States. It was initially designed by engineer Joseph Strauss in 1917. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.