Great Bridges Of The World On Google Earth

No trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is complete without taking a drive that brings you into town over the Fort Pitt Bridge.

The view of downtown that you see upon exiting the tunnel, with Heinz Field and PNC Park off to the left, makes it, for me, one of the world's great bridges.

I couldn't think of a better subject to explore on Google Earth than the great bridges of the world. For my money that list would have to include...

Ponte Vecchio


The Ponte Vecchio, aka Old Bridge, is a Medieval bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common.

Millau Viaduct


The Millau Viaduct is an enormous cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France.

It is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at 343 metres (1,125 ft) — slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 38 m (125 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building. The viaduct is part of the A75-A71 autoroute axis from Paris to Montpellier.

Golden Gate Bridge


The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean.

As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, it connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County.

Erasmus Bridge


The Erasmusbrug, aka Erasmus Bridge, is a cable stayed bridge across the New Meuse river, linking the northern and southern halves of the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The Erasmusbrug was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996. The 808 meter long bridge has a 139 meter-high asymmetrical pylon, earning the bridge its nickname of "The Swan".

The southern span of the bridge has a 89 meter long bascule bridge for ships that cannot pass under the bridge. The bascule bridge is the largest and heaviest in West Europe and has the largest panel of its type in the world.

San Diego-Coronado Bridge


The San Diego-Coronado Bridge is a "prestressed concrete/steel" girder bridge, crossing over San Diego Bay in the United States, linking San Diego, California with Coronado, California.

The 11,179-foot-long (3,407 m or 2.1 mi) bridge ascends from Coronado at a 4.67 percent grade before curving 80 degrees toward San Diego. The span reaches a maximum height of 200 feet (61m), allowing the U.S. Navy ships which operate out of the nearby Naval Station San Diego to pass underneath it.

Tsing Ma Bridge, Hong Kong


The Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's seventh-longest span suspension bridge. The bridge was named after two of the islands at its ends, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan . It has two decks and carries both road and rail traffic, which also makes it the largest suspension bridge of this type.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge


The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a pair of mile-long suspension bridges in the U.S. state of Washington, which carry State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula.

Sydney Harbour Bridge


The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore.

The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of both Sydney and Australia. The bridge is locally nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design.

According to Guinness World Records, it is the world's widest long-span bridge and it is tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres (429.6 ft) from top to water level.

Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge


The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge across the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts.

The bridge and connecting tunnel were built as part of the Big Dig, the largest highway construction project in the United States. Finished in 2003, the bridge's unique styling quickly became an icon for Boston.

Tower Bridge


Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name.

The bridge consists of two towers which are tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways which are designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers.

Fort Pitt Bridge


The Fort Pitt Bridge is a steel, double decker bowstring arch bridge that spans the Monongahela River near its confluence with the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It is famous for being the "best way to enter an American city." Motorists traveling from the West on I-279 are given no visual cues regarding their nearness to downtown Pittsburgh as they enter the Fort Pitt Tunnels. Emerging from the portal, the Golden Triangle suddenly bursts into view framed by the yellow crossbracing of the bridge's arch.

Gateshead Millennium Bridge


The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead on the south bank, and the Quayside of Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank.

The bridge is often referred to as the 'Winking Eye Bridge' due to its elliptical shape and its rotational movement.