Lists of bridges facts for kids

A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle, such as a river, valley, or road, without blocking the way underneath. Bridges are some of the most impressive feats of civil engineering in the world. They connect communities, carry highways and railways, and allow people and goods to travel smoothly across great distances.

Throughout history, humans have designed many different types of bridges, including beam bridges, arch bridges, suspension bridges, and cable-stayed bridges. This guide explores notable and famous bridges around the world, organized by continent and country.

Africa

Africa is home to a wide range of impressive bridges, from historic colonial railway crossings to modern suspension spans over wide waterways.

Algeria

• Ouadi El Roukham Bridge – A major highway bridge in northern Algeria designed to cross rugged mountain terrain.

Botswana

• Kazungula Bridge – A modern road and rail bridge crossing the Zambezi River. It directly connects Botswana with Zambia and curves across the river to avoid entering neighboring territory.

Egypt

Egypt has built several vital bridges over the River Nile and the Suez Canal to connect its cities and regions.

• Suez Canal Bridge – Also called the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge, this high-level road bridge crosses the famous maritime route of the Suez Canal.
• Rod El Farag Axis Bridge – Also known as the Tahya Misr Bridge, it crosses the Nile in Cairo and holds the Guinness World Record for the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world at 67.3 meters (221 feet).
• Aswan Bridge – A major bridge crossing the Nile in southern Egypt.
• 6th October Bridge – An elevated highway and river bridge in Cairo that carries thousands of vehicles every day.
• Stanley Bridge – A scenic coastal bridge in Alexandria with decorative towers.
• El Ferdan Railway Bridge – The longest swing bridge in the world, built to open and allow huge container ships to pass along the Suez Canal.
• Qasr El Nil Bridge – A historic steel bridge in central Cairo famous for its four large bronze lion statues guarding the entrances.
• Imbaba Bridge – A major railway bridge spanning the Nile in Cairo.

Ghana

• Adome Bridge – A suspension-arch bridge crossing the Volta River, built in 1957.

Mozambique

• Dona Ana Bridge – A historic railway and pedestrian bridge that spans the lower Zambezi River. It is nearly 3.67 kilometers (2.28 miles) long.
• Unity Bridge – A bridge connecting Mozambique and Tanzania across the Ruvuma River.

Namibia

• Katima Mulilo Bridge – A road bridge that crosses the Zambezi River to link Namibia with Zambia.

Nigeria

• Carter Bridge – One of three main bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Nigerian mainland.
• Eko Bridge – A major bridge built to move heavy traffic between Lagos Island and the mainland.
• Third Mainland Bridge – One of the longest bridges in Africa, stretching over 11.8 kilometers (7.3 miles) across Lagos Lagoon.

South Africa

• Bloukrans Bridge – An arch bridge near Nature's Valley that is famous for being one of the highest concrete arch bridges in the world.
• Grayston Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge – A modern bridge in Johannesburg built to encourage green travel.
• Hennie Steyn Bridge – A long road and rail bridge crossing the Orange River.
• Nelson Mandela Bridge – A modern cable-stayed bridge located in Johannesburg, named in honor of the former president.
• Paul Sauer Bridge – Also known as the Storms River Bridge, a deck arch bridge spanning a deep gorge in the Eastern Cape.
• Van Stadens Bridge – A high concrete arch bridge carrying the N2 highway over the Van Stadens River.

Zimbabwe and Zambia

• Victoria Falls Bridge – Built in 1905 over the Zambezi River gorge, just below the world-famous Victoria Falls. It carries trains, cars, and pedestrians between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Asia

Asia features some of the tallest, longest, and most advanced engineering structures on Earth, especially over deep gorges and wide ocean bays.

Bangladesh

• Jamuna Bridge – Also called the Bangabandhu Bridge, connecting the eastern and western parts of the country.
• Padma Bridge – A multipurpose road-rail bridge across the massive Padma River, opened in 2022 to boost regional travel.
• Hardinge Bridge – A historic steel truss railway bridge that crosses the Padma River, built in the early 20th century.
• Lalon Shah Bridge – A road bridge built parallel to the Hardinge Bridge.

Cambodia

• Kizuna Bridge – A bridge over the Mekong River in Kampong Cham, built with assistance from Japan.
• Neak Loeung Bridge – Also called Tsubasa Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge spanning the Mekong River along a key highway.
• Chroy Changva Bridge – A major bridge crossing the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh.

China

China is known for rapid construction of massive bridges across rivers, bays, and mountain valleys.

• Donghai Bridge – A long sea bridge connecting mainland Shanghai to the deep-water Yangshan Port.
• Duge Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge near Liupanshui that hangs over 565 meters (1,854 feet) above the Beipan River, making it the highest bridge in the world.
• Lupu Bridge – A steel arch bridge in Shanghai that spans the Huangpu River.
• Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge – A massive cable-stayed bridge that carries traffic across the Yangtze River estuary.
• Tongling Bridge – A highway and railway bridge spanning the Yangtze River in Anhui Province.
• Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge carrying both trains and motor vehicles.

India

• Atal Pedestrian Bridge – A footbridge on the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad with an eye-catching design inspired by kites.
• Bandra–Worli Sea Link – A cable-stayed bridge carrying traffic over the open sea of Mahim Bay in Mumbai.
• Coronation Bridge – A historic arch bridge in West Bengal spanning the Teesta River.
• Howrah Bridge – A famous cantilever bridge in Kolkata crossing the Hooghly River. It is one of the busiest bridges in the world.
• Mahatma Gandhi Setu – A river bridge over the Ganges connecting Patna to Hajipur.
• Mumbai Trans Harbour Link – Also known as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, it is India's longest sea bridge.
• Pamban Bridge – A historic railway bridge with a lift span that connects the town of Mandapam on the mainland to Pamban Island.
• Saraighat Bridge – The first rail-cum-road bridge built over the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
• Vidyasagar Setu – A cable-stayed bridge in West Bengal, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge.
• Adam's Bridge – A chain of natural limestone shoals between Pamban Island off India and Mannar Island off Sri Lanka.

Indonesia

• Suramadu Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge that connects the city of Surabaya on Java to the island of Madura.
• Ampera Bridge – A landmark vertical-lift bridge in Palembang, South Sumatra, crossing the Musi River.
• Barelang Bridge – A chain of six bridges connecting the islands of Batam, Rempang, and Galang.
• Youtefa Bridge – A red steel arch bridge in Jayapura, Papua, spanning Youtefa Bay.
• Merah Putih Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge in Ambon City that crosses Ambon Bay.

Iran

• Khaju Bridge – A famous historical bridge in Isfahan built during the Safavid dynasty that also functions as a dam and weir.
• Si-o-se Pol – A stone arch bridge with 33 arches crossing the Zayandeh River in Isfahan.
• Tabiat Bridge – A modern multi-level pedestrian bridge in Tehran with restaurants and viewing platforms.
• Veresk Bridge – A masonry arch railway bridge in northern Iran constructed across a deep canyon.

Japan

• Akashi Kaikyō Bridge – A suspension bridge that links Kobe to Awaji Island. It held the record for the world's longest central suspension span for over two decades.
• Great Seto Bridge – A double-deck series of bridges connecting the islands of Honshu and Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea.
• Tatara Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge that forms part of the Shimanami Kaido expressway route.
• Rainbow Bridge – A suspension bridge that crosses northern Tokyo Bay, connecting Shibaura Pier to the Odaiba development.
• Kintai Bridge – A wooden arch bridge with five spans in the city of Iwakuni.
• Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line – A bridge-tunnel combination that crosses Tokyo Bay, featuring a bridge section and an undersea tunnel connected by an artificial island.
• Hōrai Bridge – A wooden pedestrian bridge across the Oi River that holds the Guinness record for the longest wooden bridge in the world.

Malaysia

• Penang Bridge – A dual-carriageway toll bridge connecting George Town on Penang Island to Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula.
• Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge – Also called the Second Penang Bridge, measuring 24 kilometers (15 miles) in total length.
• Malaysia–Singapore Second Link – A bridge that connects Johor, Malaysia, with Tuas in western Singapore.
• Seri Wawasan Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge in the planned city of Putrajaya with a sleek, sailboat-like appearance.
• Putra Bridge – A grand concrete bridge in Putrajaya inspired by Iranian architecture.
• Victoria Bridge, Malaysia – A historic single-track railway truss bridge in Perak, opened in 1900.

Philippines

• San Juanico Bridge – A steel girder bridge crossing the San Juanico Strait to connect the islands of Samar and Leyte.
• Marcelo Fernan Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge in Metro Cebu connecting Mandaue on Cebu Island to Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island.
• Candaba Viaduct – A long elevated highway bridge crossing the Candaba Swamp on the North Luzon Expressway.

Turkey

Turkey is situated on both Europe and Asia, and its bridges connect continents and historical eras.

• 1915 Çanakkale Bridge – Spanning the Dardanelles strait, this structure features the longest central suspension span in the world at 2,023 meters (6,637 feet).
• Bosphorus Bridge – Also known as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, it was the first suspension bridge built across the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul to connect Europe and Asia.
• Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge – The second bridge built across the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
• Galata Bridge – A historic bascule bridge spanning the Golden Horn waterway in Istanbul.
• Severan Bridge – An ancient Roman stone arch bridge located near Arsameia in southeastern Turkey.

Vietnam

• Dragon Bridge – A bridge over the Han River in Da Nang shaped like a golden dragon that breathes fire and sprays water during weekend night shows.
• Cần Thơ Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge spanning the Bassac River in the Mekong Delta.
• Long Biên Bridge – A historic cantilever bridge across the Red River in Hanoi, designed and built in the early 20th century.
• Nhật Tân Bridge – A major multi-span cable-stayed bridge in Hanoi crossing the Red River.

Europe

Europe features an exceptional variety of bridges, ranging from ancient Roman stone arches that are thousands of years old to ultra-modern viaducts.

Denmark

• Great Belt Fixed Link – A bridge and tunnel crossing that connects the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen.
• Øresund Bridge – A combined road and rail bridge-tunnel connecting Copenhagen in Denmark with Malmö in Sweden across the Øresund strait.
• Little Belt Bridge – A suspension bridge carrying road traffic across the Little Belt strait between Jutland and Funen.
• Farø Bridges – Two road bridges connecting the islands of Falster and Zealand.

France

• Millau Viaduct – A cable-stayed bridge spanning the gorge valley of the Tarn River in southern France. Its tallest tower makes it the tallest bridge structure in the world.
• Pont du Gard – An ancient Roman aqueduct bridge in southern France built to carry water across the Gardon River.
• Pont Neuf – The oldest standing stone bridge across the River Seine in Paris, completed in 1607.
• Pont Alexandre III – An ornate single-span steel arch bridge in Paris decorated with gold-winged statues and classical lamps.
• Pont de Normandie – A cable-stayed road bridge spanning the River Seine near Le Havre.

Germany

• Blue Wonder – A famous steel truss cantilever bridge in Dresden spanning the Elbe River, officially named the Loschwitz Bridge.
• Göltzsch Viaduct – The largest brick-built bridge in the world, constructed with over 26 million bricks in Saxony.
• Stone Bridge (Regensburg) – A 12th-century stone arch bridge over the Danube River that served as a model for many other medieval bridges.
• Oberbaum Bridge – A double-deck bridge in Berlin crossing the Spree River, featuring distinctive brick towers.
• Kocher Viaduct – A tall concrete highway viaduct carrying the A6 autobahn near Schwäbisch Hall.
• Roman Bridge (Trier) – The oldest standing bridge in Germany, with stone pilings dating back to Roman times.

Italy

• Ponte Vecchio – A medieval stone arch bridge over the Arno River in Florence, famous for the shops built along its entire length.
• Rialto Bridge – The oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, built of stone with covered walkways.
• Bridge of Sighs – An enclosed limestone bridge in Venice that passes over the Rio di Palazzo.
• Castelvecchio Bridge – A fortified segmental arch bridge crossing the Adige River in Verona.
• Ponte della Maddalena – A striking medieval bridge in Tuscany with an unusually high arch, often called the Devil's Bridge.

Netherlands

• Erasmusbrug – A cable-stayed and bascule bridge in Rotterdam crossing the Nieuwe Maas river, nicknamed "The Swan" because of its tall white pylon.
• Slauerhoffbrug – A unique fully automated bascule bridge in Leeuwarden that lifts a section of roadway quickly to let boats pass.
• Magere Brug – A traditional Dutch double-drawbridge over the Amstel River in Amsterdam.
• Python Bridge – A pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam known for its bright red winding, snake-like design.
• Zeeland Bridge – A long concrete box-girder bridge spanning the Oosterschelde estuary.

Poland

• Solidarity Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge spanning the Vistula River in Płock.
• Świętokrzyski Bridge – A modern cable-stayed bridge crossing the Vistula River in Warsaw.

Portugal

• Vasco da Gama Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts spanning the Tagus River near Lisbon, measuring 17.2 kilometers (10.7 miles) in length.
• 25 de Abril Bridge – A large suspension bridge connecting Lisbon to Almada across the Tagus River, resembling the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Dom Luís I Bridge – A double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the Douro River between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
• Maria Pia Bridge – A railway bridge built in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel using wrought iron.

Spain

• Alcántara Bridge – An ancient Roman arch bridge built across the Tagus River between 104 and 106 AD.
• Vizcaya Bridge – A historic transporter bridge that moves a hanging gondola across the mouth of the Ibaizabal River near Bilbao.
• Puente del Alamillo – A cable-stayed bridge in Seville designed with a single backward-leaning pylon.
• Rande Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge spanning the Vigo estuary in Galicia.

United Kingdom

• Tower Bridge – A world-famous combined bascule and suspension bridge across the River Thames in London, built with Victorian Gothic towers.
• Forth Bridge – A cantilever railway bridge crossing the Firth of Forth in Scotland, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Clifton Suspension Bridge – A suspension bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel that spans the Avon Gorge in Bristol.
• Iron Bridge – The first major bridge in the world made entirely of cast iron, opened in 1781 in Shropshire.
• Humber Bridge – A long single-span suspension bridge spanning the Humber estuary near Hull.

North America

North America features historic suspension bridges, mountain canyon crossings, and long sea-spanning highways.

Canada

• Confederation Bridge – A bridge that crosses the ice-covered Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, connecting Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick.
• Quebec Bridge – A riveted steel truss bridge across the lower Saint Lawrence River, holding the record for the world's longest cantilever bridge span.
• Hartland Covered Bridge – The longest covered bridge in the world, located in New Brunswick, stretching 391 meters (1,282 feet).
• Lions Gate Bridge – A suspension bridge opening Vancouver harbor to the North Shore communities.

Mexico

• Baluarte Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains, ranking among the highest bridges in the Americas.
• Mezcala Bridge – A multi-span cable-stayed bridge carrying the Cuernavaca–Acapulco highway over the Balsas River.
• Puente de la Unidad – A cable-stayed bridge crossing the Santa Catarina River in Monterrey.
• Tampico Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge over the Pánuco River connecting Tamaulipas and Veracruz.

Panama

• Bridge of the Americas – A road bridge that crosses the Pacific approach to the Panama Canal, connecting North and South America by road.
• Centennial Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge built across the Gaillard Cut of the Panama Canal.
• Atlantic Bridge, Panama – A cable-stayed bridge crossing the Atlantic entrance of the canal near Colón.

United States

• Golden Gate Bridge – A famous orange suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait between San Francisco and Marin County, California.
• Brooklyn Bridge – A hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City completed in 1883, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River.
• George Washington Bridge – A double-deck suspension bridge across the Hudson River between New York City and Fort Lee, New Jersey; it is the busiest motor vehicle bridge in the world.
• Mackinac Bridge – A suspension bridge in Michigan spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
• Bixby Creek Bridge – A picturesque concrete open-spandrel arch bridge along the Big Sur coast of California.
• Seven Mile Bridge – A bridge in the Florida Keys connecting the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean along the Overseas Highway.
• New River Gorge Bridge – A long steel arch bridge in West Virginia carrying traffic high above the New River.

South America

South America has many bridges crossing wide tropical rivers, coastal bays, and mountain valleys.

Argentina

• Puente de la Mujer – A rotating footbridge in Buenos Aires designed to resemble a couple dancing the tango.
• Rosario-Victoria Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge crossing the Paraná River to connect the provinces of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos.
• General Belgrano Bridge – A bridge spanning the Paraná River between Resistencia and Corrientes.
• Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridge – Two cable-stayed bridges carrying a railway and four lanes of road over the Paraná Delta.

Brazil

• Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge – A modern bridge in Brasília with three asymmetrical steel arches that cross Lake Paranoá.
• Rio–Niterói Bridge – A long box-girder bridge spanning Guanabara Bay, connecting the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói.
• Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge in São Paulo featuring an X-shaped tower and curved roadways that cross each other.
• Hercílio Luz Bridge – A historic suspension bridge connecting Santa Catarina Island to the mainland at Florianópolis.
• Friendship Bridge (Paraguay–Brazil) – An arch bridge across the Paraná River connecting Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil with Ciudad del Este in Paraguay.

Colombia

• César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct – A cable-stayed bridge connecting Pereira and Dosquebradas.
• Pumarejo Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge over the Magdalena River near Barranquilla, featuring wide shipping clearance.
• Puente de Occidente – A historic suspension bridge over the Cauca River designed in the late 19th century.

Suriname

• Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge – A high concrete bridge spanning the Suriname River, connecting Paramaribo with Meerzorg.
• Coppename Bridge – A bridge crossing the Coppename River along the East-West Corridor.

Venezuela

• General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge – A long multi-span cable-stayed bridge crossing the outlet of Lake Maracaibo.
• Angostura Bridge – A suspension bridge spanning the Orinoco River near Ciudad Bolívar.
• Orinoquia Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge that provides a second major road crossing over the Orinoco River.

Oceania

Bridges in Australia and New Zealand span ocean harbors, mountain rivers, and wide estuaries.

Australia

• Sydney Harbour Bridge – An iconic steel through-arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arched design.
• Story Bridge – A cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River in Queensland.
• Anzac Bridge – An eight-lane cable-stayed bridge spanning Johnstons Bay in Sydney.
• Sea Cliff Bridge – A balanced cantilever bridge that curves out over the ocean along the coast of New South Wales to avoid falling rocks from cliffs.
• Kurilpa Bridge – A pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Brisbane designed using the engineering principle of tensegrity (balanced tension and compression).
• Richmond Bridge – A stone arch bridge built by convict labor in 1825, making it the oldest bridge in Australia still in use.
• West Gate Bridge – A steel box-girder cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne crossing the Yarra River.
• Tasman Bridge – A bridge crossing the Derwent River in Hobart, Tasmania.

New Zealand

• Auckland Harbour Bridge – An eight-lane box truss bridge spanning the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland.
• Otira Viaduct – A concrete highway bridge in Arthur's Pass National Park engineered to carry alpine traffic over unstable mountain terrain.
• Mohaka Viaduct – A high steel railway viaduct spanning the Mohaka River in Hawke's Bay.
• Bridge to Nowhere – A concrete road bridge standing in the native forest of Whanganui National Park, built in the 1930s for a settlement that was later abandoned.
• Grafton Bridge – A historic reinforced concrete arch bridge spanning Grafton Gully in Auckland.

Types of Bridges

Civil engineers choose different bridge designs depending on the distance to cover, ground conditions, weight needs, and cost:

• Beam Bridge: The simplest type of bridge, consisting of horizontal beams supported at each end by piers. Best for short spans.
• Arch Bridge: A curved structure where the weight pushes outward into abutments at either end. These have been made from stone for thousands of years and can also be made from modern steel and concrete.
• Truss Bridge: A structure built from connected straight elements forming triangles, which distributes tension and compression efficiently.
• Cantilever Bridge: Built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end, like diving boards joined in the middle.
• Suspension Bridge: A design where the deck is hung below suspension cables running between tall towers and anchored into the ground at each end. Ideal for very long spans over wide bodies of water.
• Cable-Stayed Bridge: A modern design where cables run directly from one or more towers straight down to the bridge deck.

See Also

• Aqueduct
• Civil engineering
• Viaduct