21 of the world's most spectacular bridges
How can one visit a city and not gravitate towards its most impressive bridge?
By logistics or attraction, our travels are bound together by the world's river, sea and lake crossings, with many more famous than the addresses they link.
In celebration of the humble - though some are unashamedly proud - bridge, Telegraph Travel decided to survey extraordinary overpasses around the world, which, among other things, have been chosen for being the longest, oldest and most beautiful.
1. Severn Bridge, UK
Upon opening the Severn Bridge in 1966, Queen Elizabeth II heralded a new era for the economy of South Wales – she clearly hadn’t envisaged the subsequent collapse of the region’s mining industry. The Grade I listed bridge replaced the antiquated Aust Ferry and carried the M4 until 1996 when the superior Second Severn Crossing opened.
2. The Humber Bridge, UK
When it opened in 1981, the Humber Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world (it’s since been relegated to ninth in the world standings, though it remains the largest of its kind in Britain). Bit of trivia for you: according to Visit Grimsby, the bridge contains enough steel wire to stretch around the Earth one and a half times.
3. Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge, China
It probably comes as no surprise that the longest bridge in the world is in China, a country home to a 5,500-mile wall. The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is far from beautiful, but the scale is impressive: the viaduct traverses rice paddies, lakes and rives for 102 miles.
4. Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, Japan
When two ferries sunk in the Akashi Strait in 1955, killing 168 people, public outrage convinced the Japanese government to build a bridge over the notoriously dangerous waterway. It took 40 odd years for the bridge to be realised, but what a bridge it is: at 3,911m this impressive structure has the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world.
5. Millau Viaduct, France
You’ll need a head for heights if you’re crossing the Millau Viaduct: measuring 343m from top to bottom this lofty structure in southern France is taller than the Eiffel Tower and lays claim to being the tallest bridge in the world. Designed by British Architect, Norman Foster, it opened in 2004 and clinched the Outstanding Structure Award in 2006.
6. Somerset Bridge, Bermuda
Dating back to 1620, Somerset Bridge is the world’s smallest working drawbridge, and provides just enough clearance for the mast of a small vessel. The feted crossing is a source of national pride, appearing on the reverse of Bermuda’s five dollar note.
A photo posted by rosie. (@rosie7000) on Jan 14, 2016 at 10:45am PST
7. Swinford Toll Bridge, UK
If there was an award for the quaintest bridge in the world, the Swinford Toll Bridge would probably clinch it. Crossing the River Thames in Oxfordshire, this pretty Georgian structure is privately owned and charges motorists a measly 5p to cross it. An estimated 10,000 motorists use the bridge daily, and while the toll is low, most want it scrapped: collecting the money causes significant tailbacks.
8. Golden Gate Bridge, US
This iconic suspension bridge has featured in countless films and even starred in one, The Bridge, which, morbidly, was about people who throw themselves off it. As well as being one of the most photographed viaducts on the planet, the iconic red bridge has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
9. Eshima Ohashi, Japan
Dubbed the “Rollercoaster Bridge”, you’ll need plenty of horsepower to get your car over the Eshima Ohashi viaduct, which climbs steeply as it crosses Nakaumi lake.
10. Sidu River Bridge, China
Spanning a verdant, 500m-deep valley in China’s Hubei Province, the Sid River Bridge is the world’s highest (not to be confused with tallest). Built for a reported $100 million (£75m), which seems remarkable value for money, it opened for traffic in 2009.
11. Royal Gorge Bridge, US
America’s highest suspension bridge, this vertiginous viaduct spans a rugged, 91m-high gorge in Colorado and offers epic views of the Arkansas River below. Opened in 1929, the bridge it not just a means of crossing the gorge: it has also become something of a tourist attraction.
12. Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, China
China also lays claim to the world’s longest sea bridge, which, at 26.4 miles long, could easily span the English Channel. Stretching across the wide blue waters of Jiaozhou bay, the vast Y-shaped bridge was built in just four years at a cost, reported by the Chinese state media, of £1.42 billion.
13. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, US
The world's longest bridge outside of Asia, Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in southern Louisiana is an epic, 24 mile-long structure that crosses one of the most famous bodies of water in the US; a lake that has inspired literature, music and film.
14. The Vasco da Gama Bridge, Portugal
Portugal’s Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts) at 10.7 miles (17.2 km). Named after the famous Portuguese explorer, who was the first European to reach India by sea, this vast cable-stayed bridge spans the Tagus River near Lisbon.
15. Pons Fabricius, Italy
Still standing after all these centuries, the Pons Fabricius (or Ponte dei Quattro Capi) in Rome was built in 62 BC making it the oldest bridge in the world.
16. Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia
Nickname “The Coathanger”, Sydney Harbour Bridge, along with the neighbouring Opera House, is one of the most iconic structures in Australia. It hosts an epic fireworks display annually, to bring in the New Year, televised around the world.
17. Tyne Bridge, UK
Sydney Harbour Bridge has echoes of Newcastle’s iconic Tyne Bridge, which was opened by King George V in 1928. As well as being a remarkable structure, the bridge is, unusually, home to an estimated 700 pairs of black-legged kittiwakes.
18. Forth Bridge, UK
A Unesco World Heritage, this iconic Scottish structure spans the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh. The cantilever railway bridge opened in 1890 and was rightly considered one of the UK’s greatest engineering feats.
19. Tower Bridge, UK
They say imitation is the best form of flattery, so Britain should be thrilled that China has built its own version of London’s feted Tower Bridge. There’s nothing quite like the original, though, which opened in 1894 and has become an icon of the capital.
20. Ponte Vecchio, Italy
This pretty medieval bridge in Florence is much like the bridges of yore in that has shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied these shops, but today the premises are occupied by souvenir sellers, who ply their trade above the Arno River.
21. Khaju Bridge, Iran
Built in the 17th century by Shah Abbas II, this exquisite bridge in Isfahan also serves as a dam, with sluice gates under the archways. The Khoju Bridge has two stories of arcades, which are marked by distinctive arches decorated with colored tiles.
