Suspension bridge Facts for Kids

A suspension bridge can be made out of simple materials such as wood and common wire rope.

A suspension bridge is a special type of bridge that has been built for a very long time, even as far back as 100 AD! Some simple suspension bridges, like the ancient Inca rope bridge, are still used today for people and animals to cross.

These older, simple bridges hang from two high points over a river or canyon. They usually sag a bit in the middle and aren't strong enough for modern roads or trains.

The idea for the modern suspension bridge, with a flat deck hanging below, came about in the early 1800s. These newer designs can cross much longer distances than other types of bridges. The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan is currently the longest suspension bridge in the world!

Why are Suspension Bridges Great?
What are the Challenges of Suspension Bridges?
Longest Suspension Bridges in the World
Famous Suspension Bridges and Their Stories
When Bridges Have Problems
Images for kids
See also

Why are Suspension Bridges Great?

They can stretch across incredibly long distances, longer than any other bridge type.
They often use less building material than other bridges. This can help save money when they are built.
When building them, workers usually don't need much access from below. This means rivers or roads underneath can stay open.
Suspension bridges can handle earthquakes better than heavier, stiffer bridges.
It's possible to change parts of the bridge deck. This means they can be made wider for more traffic or to add special paths for bikes and walkers.

What are the Challenges of Suspension Bridges?

They need special design to stop the bridge deck from shaking or swaying too much in strong winds.
It's harder for them to carry very heavy trains. This is because their decks are not as stiff as other bridge types.
Sometimes, workers still need to access the area below the bridge during construction. This is often to lift the first cables or deck parts.

Longest Suspension Bridges in the World

Suspension bridges are often ranked by how long their main span is. The main span is the distance between the two main towers. Here are some of the longest suspension bridges:

Bridge	Country	Length (meters)	Year Opened
Çanakkale 1915 Bridge	Turkey	2023	2022
Akashi Kaikyō Bridge	Japan	1991	1998
Yangsigang Bridge	China	1700	2019
Xihoumen Bridge	China	1650	2009
Great Belt Bridge	Denmark	1624	1998
Osman Gazi Bridge	Turkey	1550	2016
Yi Sun-sin bridge	South Korea	1545	2012
Runyang Bridge	China	1490	2005
Fourth Nanjing Yangtze Bridge	China	1418	2012
Humber Bridge	United Kingdom	1410	1981
Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge	Turkey	1408	2016

Famous Suspension Bridges and Their Stories

Here are some other important suspension bridges, listed by when they were built:

Union Bridge (England/Scotland, 1820): This bridge had the longest span for a few years. It is the oldest suspension bridge in the world that still carries road traffic today.
Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct (USA, 1847): This is the oldest wire suspension bridge still being used in the United States.
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge (USA, 1866): When it was built, it was the longest wire suspension bridge in the world.
Brooklyn Bridge (USA, 1883): This was the very first suspension bridge to use steel wires.
Bear Mountain Bridge (USA, 1924): This bridge had the longest span for a couple of years. It was also the first suspension bridge to have a concrete deck. The way it was built helped engineers learn how to build even bigger bridges later on.
Benjamin Franklin Bridge (USA, 1926): This bridge took over from Bear Mountain Bridge as the longest. It even has an active subway line running across it!
San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (USA, 1936): This bridge was once the longest steel high-level bridge. Part of it has been replaced with a special type of suspension bridge that is the longest of its kind. It is also the widest bridge in the world!
Golden Gate Bridge (USA, 1937): This famous bridge was the longest suspension bridge for many years. It was also the tallest bridge in the world for a long time and is still the tallest in the United States.
Mackinac Bridge (USA, 1957): This is the longest suspension bridge between its anchor points in the Western Hemisphere.
Si Du River Bridge (China, 2009): This is the highest bridge in the world. Its deck is about 500 meters (about 1,640 feet) above the river below!
Rod El Farag Bridge (Egypt, 2019): This modern bridge crosses the Nile River. It holds a Guinness World Record for being the widest suspension bridge in the world, at 67.3 meters (about 220 feet) wide.

When Bridges Have Problems

Sometimes, bridges can have serious problems or even collapse. Engineers learn important lessons from these events to make future bridges safer.

Broughton Suspension Bridge (England, 1831): This iron chain bridge collapsed because soldiers were marching across it in step. Their marching caused the bridge to vibrate too much. After this, the army made a rule that troops should "break step" (not march in unison) when crossing bridges.
Silver Bridge (USA, 1967): This highway bridge collapsed, and many people died. It was an older design that was hard to check for problems. This event led to new laws that made sure older bridges were regularly checked and kept in good repair.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge (USA, 1940): This bridge collapsed just months after it was finished. Strong winds made the bridge deck twist and sway wildly. The collapse was filmed, and it's a famous example of how wind can affect bridges. Luckily, no one died, as drivers left their cars and got to safety.
Yarmouth suspension bridge (England, 1845): This bridge collapsed, sadly killing many people.
Peace River Suspension Bridge (Canada, 1957): The ground supporting one end of this bridge failed over a few days, causing the entire bridge to collapse.
On October 30, 2022, the Jhulto Pul, a pedestrian suspension bridge in India, collapsed over the Machchhu River. This tragic event led to the deaths of at least 141 people.

Images for kids

The double-decked George Washington Bridge, connecting New York City to Bergen County, New Jersey, USA, is the world's busiest suspension bridge, carrying 102 million vehicles annually.
An early plan for the chain bridge over the Menai Strait near Bangor, Wales, completed in 1826.
Micklewood Bridge as illustrated by Charles Drewry, 1832.
Eyebar chain cables of Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Cable-suspended footbridge at Dallas Fort Worth Airport Terminal D.
The Little Belt suspension bridge in Denmark was opened in 1970.
Drawing of the Tibetan-built Chaksam bridge south of Lhasa, constructed in 1430, with long chains suspended between towers, and vertical suspender ropes carrying the weight of a planked footway below.
"View of the Chain Bridge invented by James Finley Esq." (1810) by William Strickland. Finley's Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill (1808) had two spans, 100 feet, and 200 feet.
Wire Bridge at Fairmount (1842, replaced 1874).