Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
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 →
June 29, 1963 Cobham Bridge in the city of Hamilton on New Zealand’s North Island was officially opened. This girder bridge, measuring 470 feet (143.3 meters) in length, carries Cobham Drive over the Waikato River. (Cobham Drive is part of State Highway 1, the longest route in New Zealand’s road network.) Those on hand for... Continue Reading →
June 3, 2003 A new version of the Djupfjord Bridge in Nordland county in Norway’s northern region made its debut. This structure, which carries European route E10 over a section of the Djupfjorden (a deep and narrow inlet of the sea) within the municipality of Moskenes, replaced a bridge that had been in service at... Continue Reading →
May 18, 1940 A highway bridge built across the Manning River in the town of Taree in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) made its public debut. This steel truss bridge was officially opened by Alexander Mair, who served as premier of NSW from 1939 to 1941. The structure replaced a steam-driven ferry... Continue Reading →
May 14, 1920 The Michigan Avenue Bridge, which spans the main stem of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, was officially opened. This structure is widely believed to have been the first double-deck bridge built with roadway on both levels – the upper level for automobiles, the lower level for heavy commercial vehicles. In addition, the bridge... Continue Reading →
April 8, 2009 After more than a year-and-a-half of construction, the Nichols Bridgeway in Chicago was completed. This pedestrian bridge, which is 620 feet (189 meters) in length and 15 feet (4.6 meters) in width, crosses over Monroe Street in the Windy City and connects the Great Lawn of Millennium Park with the Modern Wing of... Continue Reading →
April 7, 2009 The deck for Stonecutters Bridge in the New Territories region of Hong Kong was formally completed. This bridge carries the motorway designated as Route 8 across the Rambler Channel and serves as a link between Nam Won Kok, a cape in the southeast corner of Tsing Yi Island, and Stonecutters Island. (Stonecutters... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 