There’s a lot to see in the USA. That includes numerous natural wonders, buildings, and even bridges. In fact, many bridges in the United States are well-known for several reasons, be it their history, total spans, overall appearance, or even the views they offer visitors. Here then, without further ado, are the 14 most famous bridges in the USA.
The 14 Famous Bridges In The USA
1. The Bixby Creek Bridge, California
The beautiful Bixby Bridge is reportedly an exceptional example of architecture. It stands 218 feet high and extends a total of 714 feet over Bixby Creek. It connects Big Sur to San Francisco.
One of the country’s most photographed bridges, it was built from 600,000 pounds of steel and 6,600 cubic yards of cement. Its overall design adheres to the classic California entertainment industry architectural style. Veteran visitors say that this bridge somehow contributes to the particular “majestic nature” of traveling from one place to the other.
2. The Brooklyn Bridge, New York
This bridge, made famous in cartoons, movies, and television, was specifically constructed across the East River to join Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn Heights. It was designed by German-American engineer John A. Roebling and took 14 years to complete. It was officially opened in 1883.
The bridge has been a National Historic Landmark since 1964. It is at least 272 feet high, has a length of 1.1 miles, and is 6,016 feet long. Its main span is 1,595.5 feet. One of the oldest suspension bridges, it is also a pedestrian bridge and a six-lane traffic bridge.
3. The London Bridge, Arizona
This bridge is thus named because it once spanned the River Thames. Sometime in the 1960s, Ivan Luckin, one of the city councilors, sold the bridge to the US. It was delivered to the state of Arizona in 1967.
It was reinforced to make sure it was safe. The work was completed in 1971. The bridge stretches 930 feet across Bridgewater Channel, joining popular Lake Havasu City to a small island that is home to homes, hotels, resorts, restaurants, and shops. It still has many of the original ornate lamp posts from London and all of its 10,276 exterior granite blocks.
4. The Golden Gate Bridge, California
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is now as iconic as the city itself. It was designed by American structural engineer Joseph B. Strauss. Construction on the bridge began in 1930 and was completed seven years later and, at a height of 746 feet, was then the world’s tallest suspension bridge.
It is 4,200 feet long and crosses the Golden Gate Strait to connect San Francisco with Marin County. It required several thousand workers to complete it at a cost of $35 million. The bridge is world-famous for its stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and its Art Deco features.
5. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Florida
This bridge has its roots in a tragic accident between a freighter named the Summit Venture and the previous bridge on May 9, 1980. By 1987, the construction of its replacement, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was completed. This cable-stayed bridge crosses Tampa Bay spanning 21,860 feet to connect Terra Ceia with St. Petersburg.
It has a maximum height of 430 feet. It features a bicycle and even a pedestrian lane. Some say it looks a bit like it has its own sails flowing in the wind because of its huge concrete goalposts and yellow cables.
6. The New River Gorge Bridge, West Virginia
Next on our list of famous bridges, this structure is aptly named. It took just three years to build and was opened in 1977. It spans a distance of 3,030 feet and is the world’s “fifth-longest single-span bridge” and crosses the New River Gorge.
Thanks to this bridge, a commute of at least 40 minutes is now only one minute. It reaches a height of 876 feet and features a graceful arch. The views from the bridge are spectacular.
7. The Cornish Windsor Covered Bridge, New Hampshire
The famous Cornish Windsor Covered Bridge spans an area of 460 feet. Completed in 1866, it is an exceptional example of a classic American wooden bridge from the 1800s. American architect and civil engineer used his own unique lattice truss design which he patented in both 1820 and 1835. As this goes to press, it remains one of the nation’s longest two-spanned covered bridges. This famous covered bridge crosses the rushing Connecticut River and joins the towns of Cornish and Windsor.
8. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Maryland
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is another famous bridge. At the time of its official opening in 1952, it was the world’s “longest steel structure running over continuous water.” It runs for 22,704 feet and reaches a maximum height of 186 feet.
This famous bridge joins the state’s eastern and western shores. It is a two-lane bridge that is open to pedestrians on May 1st every year. People who suffer from a fear of bridges, gephyrophobia, say that this bridge is one of the world’s scariest because of the low visibility that occurs during storms. It can be so bad, you can’t see the ground while crossing the bridge.
9. The Skydance Bridge, Oklahoma
This famous bridge, the Skydance Bridge, is unlike the other bridges. It was not designed for vehicular traffic. It was designed for pedestrians.
This bridge is 60 feet wide and stretches over Interstate 40 to provide pedestrians with a safe way to cross the freeway. It is 380 feet in length and stands 192 feet high. The innovative design is the work of architects Hans and Torrey Butzer who said they were actually inspired by Oklahoma’s state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher. The design includes an imaginative “bridge and sculpture” combination. It features stainless steel panels that are positioned to create the impression of feathers.
10. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Washington
The original bridge opened sometime in 1940. Four months later, it was decimated by strong winds. A decade later, the bridge was replaced. It included stiffened struts and open trusses to more effectively handle strong winds.
Traffic on the bridge went one way–west. It would not be until 2007 that another bridge was erected to handle traffic heading east. The bridge crosses the Narrows of Puget Sound. It joins the Olympic Peninsula to the state’s mainland. The bridge is 5,400 feet in length.
11. The Mackinac Bridge, Michigan
The famous Mackinac Bridge was opened in 1957. It was an architectural marvel that handled four lanes of traffic. The entire bridge is 26,372 feet in length with its main span being 3,799 feet long.
It’s the western hemisphere’s longest suspension bridge. The bridge spans two Great Lakes, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron, joining St. Ignace with Mackinaw City. Most of it is composed of steel grating in order to provide optimal airflow and reduce the chances of the bridge being damaged by high winds.
12. The Rainbow Bridge, New York
No need to protest this bridge! This famous arch bridge officially opened to vehicular traffic back in 1941. It crosses the world-famous Niagara Gorge and connects the Niagara Falls in Canada with the Niagara Falls in the US. (Yes, we know that technically the famous Rainbow Bridge is on the border of both countries, but it still counts.)
It is 1,450 feet long. Its longest span is 960 feet. At its highest point, it measures 202 feet. It doesn’t matter if you’re there taking pictures of the well-known falls from the bridge or photographing the bridge itself with the falls as a backdrop, the views here are truly unforgettable.
13. The Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado
From start to finish, it took only half a year to complete the Royal Gorge Bridge. Opened in 1929, this famous steel suspension bridge near Cañon City was designed to be a part of the tourist attraction aptly named the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park amusement park. While visitors can enter from the north gate, they will discover the south end is actually blocked just past the bridge.
This noteworthy bridge garnered the official title of the world’s tallest bridge at a height of 955 feet. Unfortunately, in 2001 the Chinese erected a bridge that bumped it out of the top slot. It remains the highest bridge in the United States. It is 1,260 feet in length and its longest span measures in at 880 feet.
14. The Benson Bridge, Oregon
Last but not necessarily least on our list of most famous bridges in the US, is Benson Bridge. It was opened in 1914. It crosses Multnomah Creek between the two cascades of Multnomah Falls.
This footbridge-specific design includes a buttressed concrete floor arch. It is almost six feet wide and stretches out for 52 feet. Specifically, it allows the popular Multnomah Creek Trail to pass over the actual creek. It reaches a maximum height of 135 feet. The arch itself towers 105 feet over the falls’ lower section.
