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8.  '''THE CREATION OF BRIDGES by David Bennett'''.  In 230 pages, author Bennett covers all of the world’s landmark bridges in a well researched book loaded with spectacular color photos, including many that fold out.  Also rare is an engrossing final chapter on the most influential bridge designers of all time.  Coincidentally, Bennett has also written one of the best books ever on Roller Coasters, a subject I know even better than bridges.  
 
8.  '''THE CREATION OF BRIDGES by David Bennett'''.  In 230 pages, author Bennett covers all of the world’s landmark bridges in a well researched book loaded with spectacular color photos, including many that fold out.  Also rare is an engrossing final chapter on the most influential bridge designers of all time.  Coincidentally, Bennett has also written one of the best books ever on Roller Coasters, a subject I know even better than bridges.  
  
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9.  '''BRIDGE AESTHETICS AROUND THE WORLD by the Transportation Research Board and National Research Council'''.  An international group of the world’s leading bridge engineers and authors were gathered to publish 23 papers for a book on every imaginable aspect of bridge aesthetics.  Not unlike Fritz Leonhdardt’s previous book Brucken / Bridges, this compendium captures the professional engineering knowledge that comes from the most seasoned and experienced bridge designers of our time from every major country in the world.  There is much discussion on the age old dilemma of how to create beauty and art within the confines of cost, function and durability.         
 
9.  '''BRIDGE AESTHETICS AROUND THE WORLD by the Transportation Research Board and National Research Council'''.  An international group of the world’s leading bridge engineers and authors were gathered to publish 23 papers for a book on every imaginable aspect of bridge aesthetics.  Not unlike Fritz Leonhdardt’s previous book Brucken / Bridges, this compendium captures the professional engineering knowledge that comes from the most seasoned and experienced bridge designers of our time from every major country in the world.  There is much discussion on the age old dilemma of how to create beauty and art within the confines of cost, function and durability.         
  
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10.  '''THE BEAUTY OF RAILROAD BRIDGES, NORTH AMERICAN RAILROAD BRIDGES and LANDMARKS ON THE IRON ROAD'''.  Railroad bridges and trestles always get short thrift in most books that try to cover the full history of bridges.  These three make up the slack as they exclusively trace the history and engineering of North American rail bridges.  The first book by '''Richard J. Cook''' contains hundreds of beautiful black and white photos taken by the author.  Chapters cover the early stone viaducts of the 1800s as well as the most famous turn of the century cantilevers at Poughkeepsie and Quebec.  Concrete and steel arches, timber trestles and moveable bridges round out the mix.  The second and newest book by '''Brian Solomon''' is similar to Cook’s book with the added benefit of some gorgeous color photography, much of it by the author himself.  “Landmarks” author '''William D. Middleton''' also concentrates on the most influential railway spans with an emphasis on the great designers of the time including James Eads, William Howe, Albert Fink, Gustav Lindenthal and Ralph Modjeski.  He is the premiere expert on the subject and has contributed dozens of bridge related articles to TRAINS magazine over the last few decades.   
 
10.  '''THE BEAUTY OF RAILROAD BRIDGES, NORTH AMERICAN RAILROAD BRIDGES and LANDMARKS ON THE IRON ROAD'''.  Railroad bridges and trestles always get short thrift in most books that try to cover the full history of bridges.  These three make up the slack as they exclusively trace the history and engineering of North American rail bridges.  The first book by '''Richard J. Cook''' contains hundreds of beautiful black and white photos taken by the author.  Chapters cover the early stone viaducts of the 1800s as well as the most famous turn of the century cantilevers at Poughkeepsie and Quebec.  Concrete and steel arches, timber trestles and moveable bridges round out the mix.  The second and newest book by '''Brian Solomon''' is similar to Cook’s book with the added benefit of some gorgeous color photography, much of it by the author himself.  “Landmarks” author '''William D. Middleton''' also concentrates on the most influential railway spans with an emphasis on the great designers of the time including James Eads, William Howe, Albert Fink, Gustav Lindenthal and Ralph Modjeski.  He is the premiere expert on the subject and has contributed dozens of bridge related articles to TRAINS magazine over the last few decades.   
  

Revision as of 21:17, 30 August 2009

Welcome to HighestBridges.com

Introduction

Welcome to the only web site ever dedicated to the Highest Bridges of the World and North America. Here you will find in-depth coverage on more than 300 of the highest bridges of the world and nearly 1000 of the highest bridges in North America.

Throughout the history of bridges, the discussion of size has almost always focused on length - usually of the main span. This is natural given that the design and construction of a long span is usually the greatest challenge to an engineer who is attempting to cross over a deep body of water with a limited number of supports and the least amount of material.

Of less interest to bridge engineers but just as effective aesthetically is the height of a bridge. A vast, vertical void below the structure seems to make the mass of the bridge more gravity defying, more surreal, more magical. The winner of a recent poll asking the world’s bridge experts to name the greatest 20th century bridge engineering achievement chose the 1930-built Salginatobel bridge in Switzerland. Designed by the earliest and arguably greatest master of concrete arch bridges, Robert Maillart, the sleek span was celebrated for its light, graceful lines resulting from a slender, 3 hinge design. Was Maillart’s Tavanasa bridge, built 25 years earlier, not an equal feat of engineering? To quote “Bridges” book author David J. Brown, “Though by no means the climax of his career, Maillart’s Salginatobel bridge has gained prominence on account of the spectacular grandeur of its site spanning a precipitous gorge”. Germany’s great, modern day bridge engineer Fritz Leonhardt added “These Maillart-type arch bridges look good in special situations as here over a gorge and against a mountainous background”. Had the design for one of Maillart’s lesser known spans such as Rossgraben been used for the Salginatobel site, you can be sure its fame would have been as great as the bridge that was built. Like a fancy picture frame, the vertical cliffs and tree filled alpine foothills of the Swiss valley gave Salginatobel a breathtaking elegance that became a worldwide inspiration to both engineers and the public alike.

Up until the new millennium, there were few bridges on earth that even came close to challenging the height record of the Royal Gorge suspension bridge in the U.S. state of Colorado. Built in 1929, the wood planked suspension bridge nearly became the dictionary definition of how spectacular a high bridge could be. That all changed in 2001 when an astounding succession of 10 higher bridges began opening in the decade that followed. Most of this activity occurred in China, a country that as recently as 1994 had just one bridge over 400 feet (122 meters). The Chinese have embarked on what can only be called an explosion of bridge construction. Their goal is nothing less than the complete connection of every major and minor city in the country with a full web of high speed expressways and rail lines. Even more incredible is the desire to have much of it done in just 20 years - half the time it would have taken in any other industrialized nation. This breathtaking pace has resulted in an average of 10,000 new bridge openings per year. This is no small task when you consider that the entire western half of China is mountainous. By 2020, China may have more than 50 of the world’s 100 highest bridges - an amount greater than every other country on earth combined!

The highest of China’s many high bridges are located primarily in the 3 western Provinces of Guizhou, Hubei and Chongqing. This region contains an astounding 8 of the world’s 12 highest bridges. All eight of these exceed 900 feet (275 meters) in height while four have held the world record for highest road or rail bridge including the latest Guinness book champ, the astounding 1,550 foot high (472 meters) Siduhe bridge. More than 30 others in the region exceed 500 feet (152 meters) in height. The big cities of Guiyang and Chongqing are ground zero for those looking to travel to these bridges.

After China, the country with the greatest number of high bridges is Italy. For a region that is only the size of the U.S. state of California, it is simply amazing how many towering viaducts or viadottos are spread out among Italy’s expansive array of Autopistas. Built mostly in the 1970s and 80s, this web of bridge-filled motorways includes the A3, A10, A12, A15, and A26. The most recent addition to this family is the breathtaking A20 motorway that opened in 2004 on the island of Sicily between Palermo and Messina. Perched hundreds of feet above the Mediterranean coast, this 4-lane marvel crosses dozens of colossal beam bridges that are nearly always wedged between two large tunnels. Italy is also home to 6 of the 10 highest bridge piers in Europe.

Japan ranks 3rd among the world’s high bridge countries despite having only three entries on the list of the world’s 100 highest. This is possible because Japan is rich with bridges in the lower height range of 300 feet (90 meters) to 500 feet (150 meters). After Japan, the United States would rank 4th followed by France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland. Beyond these 10 countries, few others have more than two or three bridges above 300 feet (90 meters) except for Canada, Algeria and South Africa.

The Future

With China in the middle of the most expansive highway construction boom ever, this will be the place to watch for some time to come. Asia in general is enlarging its road infrastructure far and wide so expect this whole region to be a hot spot for high bridge activity for at least the next couple of decades.

In Europe, Spain is aggresively playing catchup with its more established neighbors and is in the middle of a highway and railway construction boom that has produced more high bridges in the last decade than any other country on earth outside of China. The mountainous A6 and A8 Autovías have a large selection of towering viaductos and are the leaders in a network of Spanish highways that will soon surpass both France and Germany in total length. On a smaller scale, nearby Portugal has also been producing an impressive number of tall viaducts on several new highways.

Outside of a few new Appalachian highways in the U.S., most of the North American high bridge activity is taking place in Mexico where there are at least two major mountain expressways under construction. Each of the two new autopistas is producing a record breaking bridge - one for cable stayed bridge height and one for beam bridge pier height.

Searching for the Highest Bridges

For this web site project, finding all of these high bridges has been a major task filled with adventure and travel to all corners of the globe. “Bridging” in any form is not an easy hobby to take up. To properly photograph and measure these marvels of engineering, I have had to endure mosquitoes, bees, thorns, snakes, poison oak and poison ivy. I have dodged trucks, bums, angry dogs and even a black bear. My climbing skills were tested on barbed wire fences, walls, gates, ladders and flimsy catwalks. Long hikes were required down steep cliffs, across dangerous rocks and over muddy rivers. A “bridging” trip means coming back to a hotel room tired and filthy - definitely not everyone’s idea of a vacation.

The minimum height level for inclusion within the main body of this web site is 295 feet (90 meters) for all bridges worldwide and 140 feet (43 meters) for bridges in North America. A separate category covers only specific North American bridges between 90 (27 meters) and 140 feet (43 meters) that are of aesthetic, historical or engineering significance. There are also separate categories for highest railway bridges as well as North America’s 50 greatest high bridge sites and North American footbridges over 70 feet (21 meters).

High Bridges and the Media

Height has given many bridges great popularity within the media. Thousands of news outlets around the world covered the opening of France’s incredible Millau Viaduct in late 2004. The bridge reenergized interest in towering structures with its 7 cable stayed “sails” that seem to float above the clouds. In the U.S. state of Nevada, millions of visitors who once came to view the Hoover dam are now turning around to take pictures of the breathtaking Pat Tillman-Mike O’Callaghan Memorial bridge bridge that soars 890 feet (271 meters) over the deep gorge of the Colorado River. In South Africa there are few countrymen who are not familiar with the continent’s highest bridge, the Bloukrans, where thousands of people a year pay to bungy jump off the 700 foot high (214 meters) concrete arch, located along the N2 Garden Route, East of Plettenberg Bay. Thrill sports have also brought fame to the New River Gorge bridge in the U.S. state of West Virginia where the yearly “Bridge Day” attracts more than 200,000 people who gather to watch hundreds of BASE jumpers leap off of the 876 foot (267 meter) high steel arch. In New Zealand, thousands of tourists annually trek to the Shotover River Gorge where commercial bungy operators have taken over the old Kawaru, Pipeline and Skippers suspension bridges. For a more detailed description of these 2 sports, read the section below titled B.A.S.E., BUNGY JUMPING AND BRIDGES.

Fatal Falls

Unfortunately much of the media’s attention has also focused on bridges that attract suicide jumpers. High bridges in urban areas are especially prone to have a reputation as places for people looking to take their own life. San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate bridge and London England’s Hornsey Lane bridge have been the site of approximately one death every two weeks. Also in California, the San Diego Coronado Bay bridge sees one jumper every two months. In the central part of the state the 740 foot (226 meter) high Auburn-Foresthill bridge and the 400 foot (122 meter) high Cold Spring bridge have each averaged one suicide per year since their openings in the late 1960s and early 70s. Florida’s Sunshine Skyway reportedly has 5 suicides per year. Seattle’s 180 foot (55 meter) high George Washington Memorial or Aurora bridge and New Mexico’s 565 foot (172 mtrs) high Rio Grande bridge each average more than 3 a year. Further abroad, Melbourne Australia’s West Gate bridge leads with a rate of 17 a year while South Africa’s Van Stadens Gorge bridge averages nearly 2 a year.

Until 2003, Toronto, Canada’s 130 foot (40 meter) high Prince Edward or Bloor Street Viaduct was the second most popular suicide site in North America, averaging one death every 22 days. In 2003, a suicide barrier called the Luminous Veil was installed. Designed by University of Waterloo Professor Derek Revington, the 16 foot (5 meter) high frame of angled steel rods solved the suicide problem but resulted in a visual barrier that is ultimately still a fence even if it is an elegant and aesthetically pleasing one. People have been questioning such drastic measures. Was such a fence worth the visual and financial sacrifice? Maybe for the few thousand locals who walk across the Toronto span every year but maybe not for the millions of tourists and Bay area citizens who enjoy an amazing view of San Francisco from the Golden Gate bridge. Barriers are not always a complete success. In England, a barrier on the Clifton bridge only reduced the rate from 8 a year to 4 a year. The main span of the English suspension bridge is just 700 feet (214 mtrs) long. Are they going to successfully block every exit point on the massive Golden Gate bridge?

The benefits of the Canadian barrier have also opened a debate on whether it really deters suicide or simply moves the problem to other bridges. Since the Veil was built, suicide rates went up considerably at nearby bridges, most notably the Leaside bridge which is even higher than the Prince Edward Viaduct and crosses the same river. In nearby Montreal, Quebec, the 170 foot (52 meter) high Jacques Cartier bridge became the country’s biggest suicide magnet before a barrier moved the problem elsewhere. As in San Francisco, the Cartier span gives wonderful views of the city skyline and is used by thousands of Montreal cyclists and pedestrians. Millions more commute over it by car. Did an expensive and ugly barrier really save the lives of more Canadians?

The same dilemma also applies to San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge. Would a barrier not simply push the problem over to another span such as the Skyway along the new Oakland Bay bridge? Are would-be jumpers not smart enough to search out alternate places like hotels, apartment buildings or parking garages? It should be emphasized that less than 1 percent of all suicides in either San Francisco or Montreal occurs on either of these bridges. If more than 99 percent of all victims found other, more convenient ways to end their lives, is a bridge barrier really going to reduce the suicide rate? And despite its legendary status as America’s suicide bridge, 87 percent of Golden Gate jumpers are from the Bay area. On average, less than 3 jumpers per year are from outside the state of California. An argument could also be made that the Golden Gate bridge is actually preventing more suicides than it is causing. For every successful jump off the bridge, five people are convinced not to jump. The vast majority of these people never attempt suicide again. The abundance of tourists and passerby make it difficult for a hesitant person to climb over the 4 foot (1.5 meter) fence and jump without interference or help - something a depressed person will not get sitting alone in their house or apartment.

A final lesson might be learned at China’s Nanjing bridge, the only structure in the world with a suicide rate higher than California’s Golden Gate. Saddened by the number of Shanghai and Nanjing area residents who were ending their lives on the bridge, a local named Chen Si decided to do something about it. Armed with a pair of binoculars, he spent his weekends patiently patrolling the bridge for potential jumpers. He quickly became an expert at spotting people who were visiting the bridge for more than just a view of the Yangtze river and in 4 years he saved more than 144 people from going over the side of the bridge. This is amazing when you consider the massive road and rail bridge crosses more than a mile of river. If one dedicated man can save this many people, then surely several Bay area residents could form a volunteer group of patrollers who could spend a few hours a week on the Golden Gate bridge. One or two people walking along either end of the bridge might go a long way into reducing or even eliminating the suicide rate. Every year, hundreds of San Franciscans give up their free time to clean up beaches, counsel drug addicts and feed the homeless. Why should the problem of their cities’ most famous landmark not be added to that list of charities?

Without the addition of any barriers, suicide rates were reduced from 10 a year to less than 4 a year on Boston, Massachusetts’ 175 foot high (53 meter) Tobin bridge from better patrolling and surveillance. Might this method be the best way to reduce the suicide rate?

B.A.S.E., Bungy Jumping, and Bridges

During my research of the world’s highest bridges, people would often ask me, “Are you one of those crazy people who jump off of bridges with a bungy cord or parachute?”. Although I have spent the better part of my life craving the vertigo inducing thrills of almost 1,000 roller coasters, my interest in high bridges has always been of a more sedate, aesthetic kind. This web site in no way condones or endorses the use of bridges for thrill or sport. With little exception, both of the activities of BASE and bungee jumping are illegal on the many bridges listed within this web site. Part of the fun of these sports is precisely because of their renegade nature and the challenge to search for unknown places to experience a new jump. Many of these thrill seekers will look upon this web site as a “guide” of bridges to conquer, seeking out these structures regardless of the rules. If you are one of these people, do realize that many of these bridges have unforeseen dangers, not the least of which is simply finding a safe place near the bridge to pull over and park your car. Other problems arise from unknown structures below the bridge including power lines, buildings, trees and raging river rapids. A BASE jumper from Canada reported to me that he had to abort a planned jump from the 275 foot (84 meter) high Paulson bridge due to a discomfort with the extremely high trees on both sides of the deep ravine. He made a smart decision. Other BASE jumpers might not have. If you are not sure about a bridge site, contact other local BASE and Bungee jumpers within that region to get a heads up on access and safety and absolutely be sure to read the sections below titled BRIDGE HEIGHT MEASUREMENTS and RESERVOIR BRIDGES.

Bungy jumping is the more common and less dangerous of these two sports with usually one person connected to the end of a long, elastic cord made from a bundle of thinner strands. After jumping a hundred feet or more off of a bridge, crane or balloon, the cord stretches out, preventing the jumper from reaching the ground or a safety bag. (Head dips into water are sometimes allowed). The jumper then rebounds and falls a few more times before the energy dissipates.

The use of high bridges for the sport of bungy jumping first occurred in April, 1979 on the 250 foot (76 meter) high Clifton Suspension bridge in Bristol, Wales. A decade later, in November, 1988, famous bungee jump operator AJ Hackett began the first professional bridge operation on the 141 foot (43 meter) high Kawaru suspension bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand.

In the United States and Canada there are only 5 legal bungee jump bridge operations. Three of these are in Canada including the 143 foot (44 meter) high Saunders bridge in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, the 160 foot (50 meter) high Whistler bungee near the famous British Columbia ski resort of the same name and the 200 foot high (61 meter) Great Canadian Bungee north of Ottawa, Quebec. In the United States there is the 180 foot (55 meter) high Canyon Creek logging bridge south of Cougar, Washington and the 90 foot (27 meter) high Bridge to Nowhere across the East Fork of the San Gabriel River in the mountains North of Los Angeles, California. The world’s highest legal bungee operation is on the 700 foot (213 meter) high Bloukrans bridge in South Africa.

It should be emphasized that there are very safe and well run bungy operations that covertly jump from unauthorized bridges. The illegality of a bridge site does not necessarily make it any less safe than a jump off of an authorized bridge. Far more important are the people running the operation. Have they been around for a number of years? Do they have liability insurance? Do the cord and harness look old or frayed? Bungee jumping accidents from bridges are rare but you do need to be cautious.

A third, less common offshoot of bungee jumping is bridge swinging. Popular in Spain and a number of Latin countries in South America and referred to as “Puénting”, a long cord or rope hangs over the side of the bridge in a U-shape. One end is connected to the jumper while the other end is connected to the bridge deck a fair distance away from the jumper. If the connection is made to the side of the bridge then the jumper falls into a pendulum arc alongside the bridge in the direction of the road or railway. If the connection is made to the opposite side of the bridge, then the jumper’s swing crosses underneath the bridge, perpendicular to the roadway. An internet search of the word “Puénting” will find many examples. The world’s highest permanent bridge swing is at the Bhote Kosi bungee bridge in Nepal.

The term B.A.S.E. is an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth. These are the 4 major ground based objects from which low level BASE jumpers leap from with a parachute. Unlike conventional skydiving, Base jumping is an extremely dangerous thrill sport that should only be attempted by experienced skydivers with special equipment designed to work more reliably at slower speeds. BASE jumpers never use reserve parachutes and the point at which you can impact the ground is usually less than 15 seconds from the jumping point. As you might imagine, accidents and death are much more common among BASE jumpers than normal airplane jumping parachuters.

For BASE jumpers looking to fall from a “span”, there are three legal bridges in North America, the Perrine bridge at Twin Falls, Idaho, the New River Gorge bridge near Fayetteville, West Virginia and the Royal Gorge bridge near Canon City, Colorado. Of these three, only Perrine is open year round to jumpers. New River Gorge is limited to a special “Bridge Day” held on the third Saturday of every October while Royal Gorge is limited to the last weekend in September. Called the “Go Fast! Games”, the Royal Gorge event also includes bungee jumping. While I am not a BASE jump expert and this web site was always created for fans of bridge design and appreciation, if you are a jumper who is planning on a visit to one of the many bridges listed on this web site, feel free to e-mail me with any bridge related questions or concerns you may have. Please people, be safe out there!

Bridge Height Measurements

Where possible, most of the figures within this web site are based on elevation engineering drawings that are generally reliable. Unfortunately, for a lot of high bridges, the distance from the deck to the ground or water is not always of interest or even necessary for bridge engineers to include in their designs. This can sometimes lead to exaggeration and hype. To maintain accuracy, I attempt to measure each and every bridge I visit with a laser range finder. You may notice this has led to height figures that are occasionally at odds with previously published figures. In most cases this height difference is not more than a few feet or meters but for some bridges, the real height was dozens of feet lower. Two notable examples being the Rio Grande bridge in New Mexico and the High Steel bridge in Washington State. Other measurement discrepancies can arise from the location of the elevation point used on the bridge deck or the ground below it.

There are many variables that should be considered when attempting to find the “true” height of a bridge. The most obvious of these is the level of the water below the bridge. Elevation drawings drafted by bridge engineers usually refer to the water level surface below a bridge as NW for normal water or HW for high water. The high water level is usually a maximum level the water might reach during a 20, 50, 100 or even 500 year flood. Equally common are the terms MHW and MLW which represent “mean high water” and “mean low water” levels. The word “mean” represents an average high or low level for more normal, seasonal fluctuations that occur throughout the year but excludes brief periods of extreme flooding or severe drought. A great example of how extreme these changes can be occurs regularly on Canada’s Fraser River where water levels rise as much as 60 feet (18 meters), reducing the normally 200 foot (61 meter) high Cisco railroad bridge to just 140 feet (43 meters). This web site always uses the normal water or mean low water level figures. Since the zero line datum for bridges across ocean harbors can vary depending on whether survey engineers based it on a low, average or high tide, the heights of these bridges can be between 5 and 10 feet (3 meters) higher or lower than the official figures listed within this web site.

While bridges that cross harbors, large rivers and other navigable waterways generally have accurate and carefully measured height figures, bridges that span creeks, gorges and other uneven terrain often have measurements that are inaccurate or ignored altogether. Reaching a conclusive height for such bridges can also be difficult since the ground can have 2 or 3 measurement points referred to as left ground line, center ground line and right ground line. For this web site, the “downstream” side or lowest elevation ground line figure available is the one that is used. Railroad bridges can complicate things even further as trestle towers usually angle outward as they descend, sometimes leaving the lowest elevation point dozens of feet lower than the height directly below the rail line itself. Such trestles are listed here with a figure based on the maximum elevation difference of the tallest tower. It could be argued that the “true” height is the smaller vertical figure directly below the rail line.

Ultimately, I can make no guarantees on the height figures listed within this web site because there is no absolute method to arrive at an agreed upon height figure for every bridge out there. When and where you are on a bridge and from what points you choose to measure it from can all affect the height figure of a bridge.

Reservoir Bridges

As you go through the many bridges on this web site, you many notice a “blue” water line on about 20 percent of the North American bridge elevation drawings and on about a dozen of the World’s Highest elevation plans. These are indicative of bridge structures that cross a man-made reservoir or lake where the water level has been artificially raised by a dam. Despite the fact that most of the time reservoir bridges would not appear to be high enough for inclusion on this web site, the inconsistent and sometimes dramatic changes of the man-made water levels below these bridges made it necessary and desirable to include them. During most months of the year, these “lakes” are maintained at or near their highest level, usually referred to as “Full Pool”. Although rare, severe flooding can push this level several feet higher, sometimes threatening to over top the dam. More common, however, are dry periods - usually caused by drought - that can lower the reservoir level by a hundred feet or more. Many of these bridge structures have spectacular, towering piers that extend hundreds of feet underwater. Where possible, I have tried to obtain early construction photos of the bridge to show the original valley in its “natural” state before the reservoir was filled. As with the more conventional bridges on this web site, inclusion was based on a minimum height of 140 feet (43 meters) from the deck to the “old” river or stream level prior to the dam’s construction.

Historically, periods of drought have generally been responsible for the largest reservoir drawdowns. This is especially true in the western United States where the arid climate and lack of rain can leave dozens of large bridges high and dry. One of the more notable examples of this occurred in central California during the month of October, 1992 when an extended drought caused the New Melones lake level to drop more than 400 feet (122 meters), leaving little more than a trickling stream beneath the towering Parrotts Ferry and Archie Stevenot bridges. Another severe and even more permanent example of reservoir drawdown is currently taking place in Utah at Lake Powell, America’s second largest man-made reservoir. Created by the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1964, this massive body of water has not been at full pool since the late 1990s, averaging more than 100 feet (31 meters) below full lake level since 2003. This has left the Dirty Devil and Colorado River steel arch bridges near the Eastern end of the reservoir to tower more than 200 feet (62 meters) above the original rivers they cross. If you visit these bridges today, you can still see the “bathtub ring” line on the cliffs high above the river from earlier years when the reservoir would regularly reach full pool. In the Southern portion of the U.S. state of Texas, another notable example of a drought related drawdown lasted several years from 1995 to 2004 when the Amistad reservoir averaged more than 40 feet (12 meters) below full pool, allowing the Pecos and Devils River road and rail bridges to show off much of their more than 200 foot (62 meter) high concrete “legs”.

Ironically, the highest bridge ever built to cross a reservoir, never ended up crossing one! In the early 1970s, foundation work began on the 685 foot (209 meter) high Auburn dam east of Sacramento, California on the East Fork of the American River. Due to the huge reservoir that was expected to form behind it, engineers decided to reroute traffic across a tall bridge over the lake’s wide North Fork that would be called the Auburn-Foresthill bridge. After 3 years of construction, the huge cantilever span finally opened in May of 1973 with two of the tallest piers that had ever been built for a bridge. The dam’s construction, however, was permanently halted due to a series of unforeseen seismic studies, excessive cost overruns and other political and environmental concerns. While the bridge has become very useful to the small mountain communities in and around Foresthill, it ultimately would never have been financed without the planned reservoir. Visit the Auburn-Foresthill entry on this web site to see an even more amazing cable stayed bridge that was almost built upstream of the existing bridge. To find out current reservoir water levels in North America, please visit http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/ For California reservoir levels visit http://cdec.water.ca.gov/reservoir.html and click on “Information on Reservoirs” then pick your lake / reservoir and click on “Reservoir Elevation, feet”.

The huge effect a single dam and reservoir can have on bridge construction reached epic proportions in the late 1990s when China began construction on the Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze river. Located in the mountainous Hubei Province of Western China, this 575 foot (175 meter) high dam created a man-made lake nearly 375 miles (600 kilometers) long, necessitating the relocation and reconstruction of entire cities along with more than 50 major new bridges. Of these, more than a dozen have spans of over 1,000 feet (300 meters) including the longest concrete and steel arch spans in the world. The Badong, Wushan and Jiuwanxi bridges are all among the 5 highest reservoir bridges in the world, exceeding 500 feet (153 meters) from the height of the road deck to the old level of the Yangtze river.

World’s Tallest Bridges

Since the focus of this web site is on the “highest” bridges of the world, I knew many would be curious to know what the “tallest” bridges of the world are. It would also eliminate any confusion regarding the difference between the two. A TALL bridge measurement is from the highest point of the structure, such as the top of a suspension bridge tower, to the ground or water below it. Only a bird or maintenance worker can visit the lofty heights of these towering structures. A HIGH bridge measurement is from the road or rail deck elevation to the ground below it - the maximum level at which you and I are at while traveling across the span. To be included in this list of more than 50 of the world’s tallest bridges, the structure had to be at least 590 feet (180 meters) high. Since most suspension and cable stayed bridges have two identical towers of equal height, only one was counted for each entry. A few exceptions to this include the Millau, Longtanhe and Kochertal Viaducts, whose towering piers have a variety of heights. For these bridges, the tallest tower was used.


(Have the below sentence at the top of the bridge file page when clicked on)

You may receive a free poster if you find any bridges I have missed over a certain height. See FREE POSTERS in the INTRODUCTION for more details.

Highest North American Footbridges

There is a separate category for North American footbridges over 70 feet (21 meters) high. These are bridges that are being used for pedestrians or bicycles only and is divided into two lists. The first is of true “foot” bridges specifically built for this use while the second consists of former road or rail bridges that have been converted to trail or pedestrian-only use. This category does not include elevated “walkway” bridges between buildings that are common at hospitals, sports stadiums, universities, airports and hotels. In many cases these “corridors” are enclosed and are considered a part of the building which supports them. Mining or refinery-type “catwalks” and other industrial-use connections are also exempt as most of these structures are temporary, located on private land and only accessible to hard hat workers employed to use them. Temporary footbridges used for the construction of permanent bridges and dams are also not listed except for two or three notable examples of extreme height. I did however, include several very high dam intake maintenance bridges, a bungee platform and two “dead end” walkways to nowhere that cantilever out over cliffs, returning you to the same place you started. The exact description of what defines a legitimate footbridge will always be somewhat murky and debatable. This list is subjective and open to any suggestions or input you may have.

Finally, I must state that natural rock bridges created from water and wind erosion will never make this list. Only man-made steel, concrete, wood, stone and plastic composite material bridges are allowed! (Show pics of Rainbow arch and Virginia Lee Highway arch)

WIN A FREE BRIDGE POSTER!

While I have tried to uncover every high bridge that ever existed across every canyon and river of the world, surely there are several that have slipped by my probing eyes. To assist in this never ending search, I need your help.

If you go to the “Free Bridge Posters” page of this web site, there are a variety of “Highest” poster elevation files that are free to download and have printed at your local print shop for personal exhibition. (Not For Resale) Even though the files are free, obviously the cost to have them printed is not. I will send a free, printed elevation poster of choice as a reward to anyone who can find any type of high bridge in the world over 300 feet (90 meters) or any type of high bridge in North America over 140 feet (43 meters) that is not listed on this web site. This offer also extends to any North American pedestrian bridge over 70 feet (21 meters) Don’t forget that defunct bridges also count as do those hard to find pipeline bridges!

For a bridge to be included, the height measurement must follow the guidelines described above under BRIDGE HEIGHT MEASUREMENTS, RESERVOIR BRIDGES and the pedestrian bridge introduction. This offer does not extend to recent announcements of new bridge plans or those still under construction - the bridge must have officially opened. For newer bridge projects that are regularly announced in the industry trades, I would greatly appreciate your kindness in sending me the information via e-mail.

Before you send me information about a bridge you think I might have missed, also be sure that it is not already listed within the categories titled INTERNATIONAL BRIDGES BELOW 295 FEET (90 METERS) and NOTABLE NORTH AMERICAN BRIDGES BELOW 140 FEET (43 METERS). These two groups contain more than 100 bridges that did not make the two main categories of high bridges. Remember that I am interested in undiscovered high bridges that are not listed anywhere within this web site. If time ever allows, I hope to one day showcase all of the International bridges with an accurate elevation plan, description and photos.

You can be assured I would never not list a bridge to avoid sending someone a poster. My goal is to keep this web site as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

If you have any questions, comments or corrections please contact me at Steadiroll@earthlink.net . Photo contributions are especially appreciated!

(Posters will include World’s 20 Highest Bridges, North America’s 20 Highest Bridges, World’s 20 Highest Railway Bridges, North America’s 20 (30?) Highest Railroad Bridges, North America’s 30 (40?) Highest Footbridges, World’s 12 Highest Timber Bridges, China’s 20 Highest Bridges, America’s 20 Highest Bridges, Canada’s 20 Highest Bridges, Mexico’s 20 Highest Bridges, (Maybe 10 Highest France and 10 Highest Italy), Progressive record of World’s Highest Bridges. Also high resolution photo files of 20 or 30 of the highest bridges.

10 Great Bridge Books and Web Sites

To better understand the many bridges within this web site, a basic knowledge of general bridge history and engineering principles will help. Compiled below are what I believe are ten of the best books ever written about general bridge history and design. If you are someone who knows little about bridges, these will get you started on the road to becoming an expert. All can be obtained easily through English language internet book sellers. They are not technical books but a balanced blend of coffee table-style photography and informative but easy to read text. With one exception, these books cover all types of bridges. Two great books from the early 1900s that would be worthy of this list I have included as a free download. They are H. G. Tyrrell’s History of Bridge Engineering and J.A.L. Waddell’s Bridge Engineering. They are long out of print and can be expensive and difficult to find on the internet.

There are hundreds of other wonderful bridge books that highlight specific bridges or bridge types. Entire books have been written on one bridge, a bridge designer or bridges of a specific country. Since it is beyond the scope of this web site to cover all of these subjects, a good browse through a large library is recommended. Other great sources of bridge information include the industry trade magazines Roads & Bridges, Engineering News-Record, Bridge Design and Engineering and Civil Engineering. There are also many fine international magazines on road and bridge construction but they are often difficult to track down and subscriptions are expensive.

For a quick summary on the development of bridges, please read the INTRODUCTION TO NORTH AMERICA’S HIGHEST RAILROAD BRIDGES and the INTRODUCTION TO NORTH AMERICA’S HIGHEST PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES.

The 10 Best General Bridge Books

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1. BRIDGE ENGINEERING: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE by Leonardo Fernández Troyano. The most comprehensive book ever written on the general subject of bridges, engineer and designer Troyano’s 775 page goliath leaves no foundation unturned. There are more than 200 pages on suspension and cable stayed bridges alone. Another chapter covers such rarely seen bridge types as floating, transporter and lift bridges. The book is packed with well over a 1,000 photos including hundreds of construction views showing not often seen examples of timber centering, cable spinning and wire compacting. If you can only afford one book on bridges, this is the one to own. Originally published in Spanish, be sure to get the English language version, available from ASCE press.

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2. BRUCKEN / BRIDGES: AESTHETICS AND DESIGN by Fritz Leonhardt. One of the 10 greatest modern day bridge engineers, Fritz Leonhardt revolutionized the post-World War II German bridge scene. His book became legendary for its insistence on the importance of aesthetics, simplicity and the need to build bridges that will harmonize with their immediate surroundings. The book studies the positive psychological effects that light, shadow, color and proportion can have on a bridge and its environment. With over 500 photos, most of them in color, Leonhardt points out hundreds of examples of beautiful bridges while not shying away from criticizing design elements that are ill-proportioned or ugly. This book was published in 1984 and should not be confused with earlier or later books co-authored by Leonhardt.

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3. BRIDGES: THE SPANS OF NORTH AMERICA by David Plowden. Probably the single greatest book ever written about North American bridges, Plowden brings us through the entire history of the continent’s bridge development from the early aqueducts of the 1800s to the cable stayed spans of the 1990s. The writing is almost as intoxicating as the gorgeous black and white photography. The glossy, sometimes stark images take readers from the mountains of Canada to the long forgotten industrial cities of the Northeastern United States. Many of these bridges have since disappeared. Chapters are categorized by the bridge period’s building material of choice including stone, brick, wood, iron, steel and concrete. Originally published in 1974, be sure to get the revised 2002 printing.

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4. BRIDGES by David J. Brown. A perfect introductory book on bridges. In just over 200 pages, Brown touches on all the important bridge spans from the Pont du Gard and Zhaozhou to Millau and Messina. Facts, figures and the historical influence of every bridge is revealed through a mix of illustrations, photos and Brown’s excellent writing. Look for the 2005 updating of the original 1993 printing.


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5. LANDMARK AMERICAN BRIDGES by Eric DeLony and BRIDGES by Richard Cleary. As former chief of HAER (Historic American Engineering Record), there are few people in the U.S. as knowledgeable as author Eric DeLony when it comes to American bridge history. His book showcases about 100 of America’s most influential and historical spans. There is an emphasis on early iron truss bridges with beautifully rendered elevation and axonometric drawings. A running timeline at the head of each chapter contains invaluable information on the progress of North American bridge development. A detailed appendix lists hundreds of other historic U.S. bridges that will be useful to historians and scholars. Author Richard Cleary has written a similar but even larger volume that continues to showcase classic American bridges that are endangered or demolished. Both books are a great companion piece to the HAER web site listed below.


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6. IN THE WAKE OF TACOMA by Richard Scott. Despite having very few photos, “Tacoma” is nothing less than the best book ever written about suspension bridges. Spanning the post war period after the collapse of the first Tacoma Narrows bridge, author Scott investigates the development of more aerodynamically resistant bridge decks. Incredibly detailed but easy to read, numerous chapters cover design issues on dozens of the world’s largest and most influential spans from the 1950s to the 1990s. Chinese and Japanese suspension bridges - rarely discussed in western bridge books - are especially well covered.

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7. GREAT AMERICAN BRIDGES AND DAMS by Donald C. Jackson. Even though half of it is dedicated to dams, this narrow book is packed with an excellent sampling of bridges both famous and obscure from every region of the U.S. The history of each structure is discussed in great detail. Special emphasis is placed on older truss bridges and the importance of preserving them.

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8. THE CREATION OF BRIDGES by David Bennett. In 230 pages, author Bennett covers all of the world’s landmark bridges in a well researched book loaded with spectacular color photos, including many that fold out. Also rare is an engrossing final chapter on the most influential bridge designers of all time. Coincidentally, Bennett has also written one of the best books ever on Roller Coasters, a subject I know even better than bridges.

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9. BRIDGE AESTHETICS AROUND THE WORLD by the Transportation Research Board and National Research Council. An international group of the world’s leading bridge engineers and authors were gathered to publish 23 papers for a book on every imaginable aspect of bridge aesthetics. Not unlike Fritz Leonhdardt’s previous book Brucken / Bridges, this compendium captures the professional engineering knowledge that comes from the most seasoned and experienced bridge designers of our time from every major country in the world. There is much discussion on the age old dilemma of how to create beauty and art within the confines of cost, function and durability.

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10. THE BEAUTY OF RAILROAD BRIDGES, NORTH AMERICAN RAILROAD BRIDGES and LANDMARKS ON THE IRON ROAD. Railroad bridges and trestles always get short thrift in most books that try to cover the full history of bridges. These three make up the slack as they exclusively trace the history and engineering of North American rail bridges. The first book by Richard J. Cook contains hundreds of beautiful black and white photos taken by the author. Chapters cover the early stone viaducts of the 1800s as well as the most famous turn of the century cantilevers at Poughkeepsie and Quebec. Concrete and steel arches, timber trestles and moveable bridges round out the mix. The second and newest book by Brian Solomon is similar to Cook’s book with the added benefit of some gorgeous color photography, much of it by the author himself. “Landmarks” author William D. Middleton also concentrates on the most influential railway spans with an emphasis on the great designers of the time including James Eads, William Howe, Albert Fink, Gustav Lindenthal and Ralph Modjeski. He is the premiere expert on the subject and has contributed dozens of bridge related articles to TRAINS magazine over the last few decades.

With so many wonderful bridge web sites out there, it was difficult to narrow down a list to just 10. The goal was to pick out the ones that had a good variety of bridges along with well researched descriptions and extensive photography.

10 Best General Bridge Web Sites

1. STRUCTURAE. [1] Created by French and German bridge engineer Nicolas Janberg, Structurae is the most extensive online database ever created for works of civil engineering. All manner of bridges, buildings, dams and towers are included from nearly every country on earth. The massive web site is available in 3 languages. One of the best features of the many bridge entries is the ability to link to the designers and engineering firms behind the bridge.

2. HAER. Historic American Engineering Record [2] With more than 3,000 bridge entries to date, no other web site has so many documents and photos relating to historic American bridges. Original design notes, extensive surveys and hundreds of engineering drawings will make you feel like an archeologist who has just stumbled onto a treasure chest of bridge information. Most of the outstanding photos are in black and white by such top notch HAER photographers as Jet Lowe.

3. WIKIPEDIA - BRIDGE. [3] Although it might be so obvious you ignored it, Wikipedia has grown to include nearly every imaginable type of bridge category with hundreds of examples from all over the world. Descriptions are clear and concise and are usually accompanied by at least one or two well chosen photos. A great feature of Wikipedia is the ability to “travel” up or down dozens of major waterways, accessing each bridge crossing as you go. Some entries have little or no information but that situation will only improve with time.

4. FLICKR and BRIDGEPIX. [4] and [5] As the ultimate photo sharing web site, Flickr has also become the ultimate photo web site of bridges. With more than 2 million images posted since 2004, photographers get to show off their works of art among dozens of groups such as Bridges in Europe, Bridges at Night, Railroad Bridges and Pittsburgh Bridges. You might not learn much about the engineering or history of these structures but you sure will be entertained. Members can also post questions or make comments among their peers. Like Flickr, Bridgepix is an ever-expanding database with more than 13,000 bridge photos to date. The massive collection is one of the largest single depositories of North American bridge images ever compiled. There is a big emphasis on postcards which make up nearly a third of the collection. An ongoing bridge blog by web site creator Thad Roan combines Wikipedia-style bridge descriptions with gorgeous photos contributed by himself and others. Bridgepix is also a major contributor to Flickr.

5. SKYSCRAPERCITY. [6] Dedicated to urban developments around the globe, this web site blog is the best international news forum in the world on current road projects and bridges. Contributors who post on the forums are from countries and continents both big and small including China, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Russia as well as Eastern Europe and South America. There are more than 300 bridge threads on a variety of topics from Bridges in Hungary and Bridges of the Panama Canal to Footbridges and the World’s First Iron Bridge - many with several pages of images, news and information. With such a large international contingent, opinions on highway projects are often critical with bruised national pride leading to some lively discussions. Look for the bridge forum under the World Forum called Infrastructure and Mobility. Also be aware there is a lot of bridge information hidden within other categories. For example, if you go into the category of Latin American Forums and then into the subcategories of Latinscrapers, then Foros Generales and finally Infraestructura de Transporte you will see threads for such subjects such as Autopistas Mexicanas and Autopistas Colombianas that have dozens of pages of bridge filled highways.

6. BRIDGEMEISTER. [7] With a focus on “Mostly Suspension Bridges” this web site has grown to include more than 2,000 examples from around the world. From the most obscure footbridges to the mile long superspans, this ever expanding online library seems to have them all with accurate historical information you will find nowhere else on the internet. Created by “bridgemeister” David Denenberg, the web pages are easy to navigate with a well organized search engine and an extensive bibliography. It also houses the photo collection of Patrick S. O’Donnell, a self confessed suspension bridge fanatic who has visited more than a 1,000 spans to date. David also oversees an informative and sometimes lively discussion of all things bridge related at the Yahoo bridge forum, accessible at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ManySpans/.

7. HISTORIC BRIDGES OF THE UNITED STATES and HISTORIC BRIDGES OF MICHIGAN AND ELSEWHERE. [8] and [9] What initially began as two small databases of historical U.S. bridges around the respective regions of creator James Baughn’s hometown state of Missouri and Nathan Holth’s home state of Michigan has since grown to include nearly two dozen Midwestern states. With a strong focus on the classic truss bridge, these web sites may possess the unique distinction of having actually saved several spans from meeting the wrecking ball. Baughn’s web site has excellent coverage on the status of the latest endangered structures with news-style reports that are updated on a weekly and sometimes daily basis while Holth offers an entertaining if no-holds-barred type attitude towards state and county bridge departments who have little regard for preserving old bridges that have become cheaper to replace than rehab. Extensive facts and photography of such details as pin connections, railings and manufacturer plaques attest to the passion of these two guys who are recording what bridge history they cannot save.

8. BRIDGES & TUNNELS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY and VENANGOIL. [10] and [11] It is rare to find a good bridge web site on a local region of the country. This makes the people of Western Pennsylvania especially lucky as these two web sites are among the best. Focused more on the city of Pittsburgh, B&T of AC was created by Bruce Cridlebaugh as a historical record of the hundreds of spans, past and present, that have crossed the hills and rivers of America’s greatest bridge city. In addition to having facts, elevation drawings, articles and maps, the write ups include many of the big, behind-the-scenes players from the designers and contractors to the politicians and the public. Venangoil is more of a preservation web site dedicated to the classic truss bridges of yesteryear that are slowly vanishing from the Allegheny river valley - a once prosperous region of oil fields. Not unlike the two previously recommended web sites on historic bridges of the midwest, creator Daniel Alward is on a crusade to save as many truss bridges as he can - if only in photographs. Of the many regional categories, be sure to visit “Disappearing Bridges”, a treasure trove of old bridges that have or are about to pass away.

9. RAIL PICTURES. [12] Railfans are among the most dedicated and serious photographers in the world. They will search out the best locations and wait for the perfect light. Lucky for us, bridges are an excellent backdrop to show the timeless beauty of the “Iron Horse”. Arches, trestles and all manner of truss bridges are revealed in thousands of images stored within the library of this classy web site. From their home page simply click on the category “Bridges/Trestles”. Of course if you want to see even more railroad related images you can always visit one of the more than 5,000 other railfan web sites out there. Just be sure to keep the midnight oil burning!

10. BRUECKENWEB. [13] Even though most of this German web site is in its native language, it has one of the largest databases of bridge information on the net with a nice diversity of categories from the longest spans of each bridge type to the world’s 100 best bridges. Unusual themes include a running history of bridge disasters, bridge postage stamps and bridge images on currency. It also has one of the best news pages out there with constant updates on developments around the world along with an equally great links page.

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BRIDGE PICS FOR INTRODUCTION Siduhe Zhinghe & New River Beipanjiang & Royal Gorge Liuguanghe - If Aerial Jiangjiehe & Hoover Dam Auburn-Foresthill - For Reservoir Section Salginatobel Bloor Street - Luminous Veil Paulson Bridge Bridge To Nowhere Rio Grande - If I can get Aerial Texcapa Dirty Devil Millau - World’s Tallest Numata - Japan’s Highest Sfalassa - Italy’s Highest Jiuwanxi - For 3 Gorges Reservoir

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