Bridge

A structure that carries a road, railway, or other route across an obstacle such as water, a valley, or another route.

Beam bridge: A bridge whose deck transfers loads mainly through bending to supports at its ends. Its simple span carries loads directly to abutments or piers.
Span (engineering): The distance between two structural supports or the portion of a structure between them. Span length strongly shapes a bridge's form and structural demands.
Viaduct: A long bridge, typically supported by a series of arches or piers, that carries a route across a valley or low ground. Viaducts extend bridge construction across broad valleys and uneven terrain.
Golden Gate Bridge: A suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in San Francisco, opened in 1937. Its long main span made suspension design a defining solution for the strait.
Induced demand: An increase in travel caused when expanded transport capacity makes travel easier or cheaper. A new road bridge can attract trips and traffic beyond the route it replaced.
Arch bridge: A bridge that carries loads through a curved arch, transferring compression outward to its supports. The arch redirects deck loads into horizontal thrust at the abutments.
Abutment: A structure at the end of a bridge that supports its deck and retains the approach embankment. Abutments anchor the ends of many bridges and resist soil pressure.
Aqueduct: A structure or channel built to convey water, sometimes across a valley or other obstacle. Some aqueducts use bridge-like structures to carry water across gaps.
Brooklyn Bridge: A hybrid cable-stayed and suspension bridge across the East River in New York City, opened in 1883. Its design combined cable systems in a major urban river crossing.
Network effect: A phenomenon in which a network becomes more useful as more people or places connect to it. A bridge can connect previously separate parts of a transport network.

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