![]() Eight of the ten longest arch bridges in the world (see related slide show) are of this type (the other two bridges are both deck arches). The use of cast iron and steel enabled engineers to develop the through arch bridge, where the bridge deck travels below part of the arch, and is suspended from cables or tie bars. The stone arch bridges built by the Romans are of this type. The oldest is the deck arch bridge, or common arch bridge, in which the bridge deck is on top of the arch. There are three major types of arch bridges. The first arch bridge to be made of cast iron, the Iron Bridge in Shropshire, England, opened in 1781 and is still in use by pedestrians today. Built of white marble, it features two ramps leading to a central portico. One of the architectural icons of Venice, Italy, is the Rialto Bridge, erected in 1591 over the Grand Canal. It was rebuilt in 1345, replacing earlier versions that were destroyed by flooding. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, consists of three segmental arches: The main arch has a span of 30 m, and each of the two side arches spans 27 m. ![]() Many arch bridges from the Medieval and Renaissance periods are still functioning as well. ![]() The oldest bridge in the city of Rome itself is the Pons Fabricius, a 62-m-long stone arch bridge over the Tiber River, built in 62 A.D., that is still in use by pedestrians. The Alcantara Bridge, a stone arch bridge built by the Romans in Spain in 106 A.D., has been repaired numerous times after suffering damage during various wars, but it is still serving pedestrians. Built in the first century A.D., it features three tiers of limestone arches and stands 48 meters high and 275 m long. Probably the most famous is the Pont du Gard, an aqueduct bridge in southern France. Roman engineers built many arch bridges, quite a few of which are still standing. The oldest known bridge in the world known to still be in use is the Caravan Bridge, a stone arch bridge across the Meles River in Izmir, Turkey. Arch bridges are one of the oldest types of bridges.
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