Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
November 17, 1913 The Eighth Street Bridge in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was formally opened to traffic. At the time of its debut, this 17-arch structure -- measuring 2,650 feet (810 meters) in length and 138 feet (42 meters) in height -- was the world’s longest and highest concrete bridge. This bridge came into existence because the Lehigh... Continue Reading →
November 9, 1967 The Poplar Street Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River and connects St. Louis, Missouri, with East St. Louis, Illinois, was officially opened to traffic. Missouri Highway News magazine reported at that time, “Clean of line but strong of sinew, the Bridge is a masterful blending of beauty and function.” This 2,164-foot (660-meter)-long structure, which... Continue Reading →
October 19, 1973 In the Canadian province of British Columbia, a key transit exchange for buses was opened at Highway 1 and Main Street in the city of North Vancouver. (This waterfront municipality is located on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet and directly across from the larger city of Vancouver.) That transit exchange was... Continue Reading →
October 12, 2014 Construction began on the Kazungula Bridge between the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Botswana in the southern region of Africa. The Kazungula Bridge carries vehicular, rail, and pedestrian traffic over the Zambezi River, which is the fourth longest river in Africa and the largest river flowing into the Indian Ocean... Continue Reading →
September 30, 2008 The Megyeri Bridge in Hungary’s capital city of Budapest was officially opened to vehicular traffic. This 6,109-foot (1,862-meter)-long bridge, which carries the M0 motorway over the River Danube, serves as a link between both of Budapest’s main sections: Buda in the western part of the city; and Pest on the eastern side.... Continue Reading →
August 31, 2011 The Rędziński Bridge, which spans the section of the Oder river in the city of Wrocław in southwestern Poland, was officially opened. This cable-stayed bridge is a part of the A8 motorway, and that 16.7-mile (26.8-kilometer) route was likewise opened to vehicular traffic on the same day. With a total length of... Continue Reading →
August 27, 1966 The Astoria-Megler Bridge, which had been jointly built by the Oregon State Highway Department (now the Oregon Department of Transportation) and the Washington State Highway Department (the present-day Washington State Department of Transportation) made its official debut. This steel cantilever through-truss bridge spans the Columbia River between the city of Astoria, Oregon, and... Continue Reading →
August 25, 1930 Approximately 25,000 people were on hand for the grand opening of the Mid-Hudson Bridge in southeastern New York. This bridge, which measures about 3,000 feet (910 meters) in length, carries traffic over the Hudson River between the city of Poughkeepsie and the hamlet of Highland. This structure was the world’s sixth longest suspension... Continue Reading →
August 16, 1951 At a minute past midnight, the Delaware Memorial Bridge linking Delaware with New Jersey was officially opened to traffic. Motorists had been lined up for up to 20 hours beforehand to travel over the newly built 2,150-foot-long bridge across the Delaware River, and the first person to make that drive (approaching the structure... Continue Reading →
July 14, 1897 In West Africa, a road bridge in what is now the Republic of Senegal was officially opened. (At the time of the bridge’s debut, Senegal was a colonial territory of France.) This bridge, which was built across the Senegal River to connect the island and town of Saint-Louis with the mainland, replaced... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 