WORLD'S TOP 10 BRIDGES
by Amy Marathe
We've traveled from Europe to the Far East and from North America to Australia to bring you some of the
most amazing bridges ever built. Take a tour through our countdown of ancient spans, iconic structures and
bridges with unique and interesting features.
10. London Bridge
Lake Havasu, Arizona
This is the bridge that
made the song "London Bridge is Falling Down" popular. Built in the
1820s over the River Thames, London Bridge grew too small over
hundreds of years to accommodate the traffic of a metropolitan city. It
was originally built for walking and traveling by horse and buggy. So, in
the 1960s, London put the bridge up for auction. It was bought for $2.5
million in 1968 by Robert McCulloch, the founder of Lake Havasu City.
The bridge took 3 years to make its way, piece by piece, to Arizona, but today, it's paid off. London Bridge
brings in over 100,000 tourists to Lake Havasu every year. As a result, a quaint village has emerged near
the bridge offering tourists a small glimpse into English life.
9. Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge
Boston, Massachusetts
Head
into Beantown and you won't likely miss this $100 million project called the
Zakim Bridge. This behemoth stretches over Boston's Charles River and
spans over 1400 feet across. In fact, it's the widest cable-stayed bridge in
the world and boasts a whopping 10 lanes for traffic.
8. Sydney Harbor Bridge
Sydney, Australia
Nicknamed the "coat
hanger," this large gray structure took over five years to complete during the
Great Depression. Constructed of more than 53,000 tons of steel, it sits 194
feet above the harbor of Australia's capital. Locals call it the "coat hanger"
for good reason. It takes about 72,000 gallons of gray paint every year to
keep the bridge looking sharp.
7. Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Virginia Beach, Virginia
This unique
bridge-tunnel hybrid is so extensive, so massive, that it's one of the planet's few
structures that can be seen from space. Opened in April 1964, this bridge is
supported by more than 5,000 concrete pillars and stretches 17.6 miles across.
The bridge took over 30 years to create at a cost of over $450 million. Its
purpose was two-fold. It was built as a short-cut for residents traveling to and
from Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, but more importantly, it provided the
U.S. Navy with protection. Military leaders worried that during wartime, the
bridges could be destroyed by the enemy and block the naval base in Norfolk.
Thus, the tunnels were built to help get the Navy to where it needed to be
without the support of the bridge.
6. Brooklyn Bridge
New York, New York
For more than a century, the
Brooklyn Bridge has been connecting the people of Manhattan with
millions of bustling Brooklynites. When the bridge opened in 1883, it was
considered a marvel of modern engineering — and still is to this today.
Upon completion, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Additionally, the towers were possibly the tallest structures in the city of
New York when they were built.
5. Firth of Forth Bridge
Queensferry, Scotland
Built in the 1890s, this
bridge was the first to be constructed primarily of steel — about 54,000
tons. Notably one of the strongest bridges in the world, the Firth of Forth
had to be strong since its primary function was for railroad loading. Today,
this Highlands workhorse still supports between 150 and 180 trains each
day taking people from Glasgow to Edinburgh and all stops in-between.
4. Tower Bridge
London, England
Considered the crown jewel of London
tourist attractions, this amazing structure is a must-see if you're in the English
capital. Tower Bridge was completed in 1894, at a cost of about 1 million
pounds. It is made primarily of Cornish granite and Portland stone. Back in the
day, the main London Bridge became too congested for all the trade going on
off the shores of London. People tried to cross the River Thames, but traffic
was often just too heavy. The decision was to build another bridge to ease the
traffic — hence the Tower Bridge was conceived.
3. Sunshine Skyway Bridge
St. Petersburg, Florida
Completed in 1897,
the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is as long as Mount Everest is high, stretching for
4 miles. It's the 5th-largest cable-stayed bridge in the world and features sunny
yellow steel cables. In fact, the bridge can withstand a big impact by a boat
weighing in at 87,000 tons. That's twice the size of the Titanic!
2. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
Kobe, Japan
Stretching across the Akashi Strait in
the Land of the Rising Sun, the Akashi Kaiyko is a bridge of mind-blowing
proportions. Its span stretches an astounding 12,828 feet or nearly 2 1/2 miles. Its
towers alone soar 92 stories skyward, almost the height of the Eiffel Tower. And its
6 lanes of freeway make way for 9 million cars each year. It was also built under
some of the most severe conditions in the world — including typhoons, tsunamis
and over 60 inches of rain a year.
1. Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, California
First opened in 1937, the
unmistakable and majestic bridge is so large that you could park 40 jumbo jets
end to end along its length. Spanning the bay separating San Francisco from
Marin County, it is the seventh-largest suspension bridge in the world and was
built at a then-gold-guzzling cost of $26 million. This art deco structure's roadway
rises 220 feet above the harbor below. Its towers, set 4,200 feet apart, are over 2
1/2 times as tall as the U.S. Capitol building. Keeping the steel safe from the corrosive sea air is enough
custom-made International Orange paint to cover the White House 17 1/2 times over.