Bridge (structure)

The first modern cable-stayed bridge featured a span of 183 m (600 ft). German engineers constructed this bridge in Sweden in 1956. Thereafter, Germany led the field in developing this type of bridge. Cable-stayed bridges can be constructed in an infinite variety of shapes and are one of the most popular long-span bridge designs. Notable examples include the Severn II Bridge in Bristol, England, completed in 1996 with a span of 456 m (1,496 ft), and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida, completed in 1987 with a span of 366 m (1,200 ft).

At the end of the 20th century, construction was under way on a number of monumental bridges, most notably in Northern Europe and in Asia. Engineers are combining aspects of both suspension and cable-stayed bridges into new bridge designs that will someday span once-impossible distances of more than 3,000 m (10,000 ft). At the same time, researchers are investigating new methods of preserving and renewing bridges, so that existing structures will last longer and provide greater service and fewer new structures will have to be built in the future.