I found over 20 lists of the best, greatest, most amazing, most spectacular and most famous bridges in the world and compiled them into one meta-list. The results are below: every bridge on at least three of the 20+ original source lists, in rank order (that is, with the bridges on the most lists at the top). In most cases I have provided details about the date of construction, location, dimensions and materials used in the bridge as well as information about the designers, engineers and builders.
For a chronological version of the same list, go HERE.
On 20 “Best Bridges” Lists
MILLAU VIADUCT
Location: Millau-Creissels, Aveyron, France
Crosses: River Tarn & River Tarn Valley
Date completed: 2004
Type: Multiple-span cable-stayed bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 8,070 ft.
Longest span: 1,122 ft.
Height: 1,125 ft (pylon tip to ground)
Clearance: 890 ft.
Materials: Concrete, steel
Architect/Engineer: Sir Norman Foster (architect); Michel Virlogeux (engineer)
Constructed by: Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau
On 17 lists
TOWER BRIDGE
Location: London, England, UK
Crosses: River Thames
Date completed: 1894
Type: Combined bascule/suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles, pedestrians
Length: 801 ft.
Longest span: 270 ft.
Height: 213 ft.
Materials: Steel, granite, Portland limestone
Architect/Engineer: Horace Jones (architect); John Wolfe Barry (engineer)
Constructed by: Sir John Jackson, Baron Armstrong, William Webster, Sir H.H. Bartlett, Sir William Arrol & Co.; E W Crutwell
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
Location: San Francisco and Marin County, California, US
Crosses: Golden Gate strait
Date completed: 1937
Type: Suspension bridge with truss arch and truss causeways
Style: Art deco
Traffic: Motor vehicles, pedestrians
Length: 8,981 ft.
Longest span: 4,200 ft.
Height: 746 ft.
Clearance: 220 ft. at high tide
Materials: Steel, concrete
Architect/Engineer: Irving Morrow (architect); Joseph Strauss and Charles Ellis (engineers)
Constructed by: McClintic-Marshall Construction Co., a subsidiary of Bethlehem Steel Corporation
On 15 lists
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
Location: New York, New York, US
Crosses: East River
Date completed: 1883
Type: Hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge
Style: Neo-Gothic
Traffic: Motor vehicles, pedestrians
Length: 5,989 ft.
Longest span: 1,595.5 ft.
Height: 276.5 ft.
Clearance: 135 ft.
Materials: Limestone, granite, cement
Engineer/Architect: John Augustus Roebling
On 14 lists
AKASHI-KAIKYŌ BRIDGE (“PEARL BRIDGE”)
Location: Kobe (Honshu) and Awaji Island, Japan
Crosses: Akashi Strait
Date completed: 1998
Type: Suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 12,831 ft.
Longest span: 6,532 ft.
Height: 928 ft.
Clearance: 215.6 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Satoshi Kashima
On 13 lists
SYNDEY HARBOUR BRIDGE (“THE COATHANGER”)
Location: Sydney, Australia
Crosses: Port Jackson/Sydney Harbour
Date completed: 1932
Type: Through arch bridge
Traffic: Rail, Motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles
Length: 3,770 ft.
Longest span: 1,650 ft.
Height: 440 ft.
Clearance: 161 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete, granite
Engineer/Architect: Dorman Long & Co./John Bradfield, NSW Dept. of Public Works
On 11 lists
PONTE VECCHIO
Location: Florence, Italy
Crosses: Arno River
Date completed: 1333, partially destroyed in flood, renovated in 1345
Type: Closed-spandrel segmental stone arch bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles (authorized only); pedestrians
Length: 275.6 ft.
Longest span: 105 ft.
Materials: Stone
Engineer/Architect: Taddeo Gaddi (attrib.); Neri di Fioravanti (attrib.)
On 10 lists
RIALTO BRIDGE
Location: Venice, Italy
Crosses: Grand Canal
Date completed: 1591
Type: Stone arch bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 104.3 ft. (single span)
Height: 24 ft. (at top of arch)
Materials: Stone
Engineer/Architect: Antonio da Ponte
ROYAL GORGE BRIDGE
Location: Cañon City, Colorado, US
Crosses: Arkansas River
Date completed: 1929
Type: Suspension bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 1,260 ft.
Longest span: 880 ft.
Height: 1,105 ft.
Clearance: 955 ft.
Materials: Steel, wood
Engineer/Architect: George E. Cole
HANGZHOU BAY BRIDGE
Location: Haiyan/Jiaxing and Cixi City/Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Crosses: Hangzhou Bay
Date completed: 2007. Opened 2008.
Type: Stayed-cable bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles.
Length: 22 miles.
Longest span: 1,470 ft.
Height: 154 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Wang Yong
On 9 lists
KHAJU BRIDGE (POL-E KHAJU)
Location: Isfahan, Iran
Crosses: Zayandeh River
Date completed: 1650. Repaired 1873.
Type: Arch bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 436.3 ft.
Materials: Stone, brick
Engineer/Architect: Reign of Shah Abbas II
CHENGYANG BRIDGE (WIND AND RAIN BRIDGE; PANLONG BRIDGE; YONGJI BRIDGE)
Location: Sanjiang County, Guangxi, China
Crosses: Linxi River
Date Completed: 1912
Type: covered bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 211 ft.
Height: 33 ft.
Materials: Stone, wood, tile
GATESHEAD MILLENIUM BRIDGE (“BLINKING EYE”)
Location: Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Crosses: River Tyne
Date completed: 2001
Type: Tilting cable-stayed arch bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians, bicycles
Length: 413 ft.
Longest span: 344 ft.
Height: 147.6 ft
Materials: Steel
Engineer/Architect: WilkinsonEyre (architect); Gifford, LLP (engineer)
Constructed by: Volker Stevin.
On 7 lists
FORTH BRIDGE (FORTH RAIL BRIDGE)
Location: Queensferry and North Queensferry, near Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Crosses: Firth of Forth
Date completed: 1890
Type: Cantilever bridge
Traffic: Rail
Length: 8094 ft.
Longest spans: 1,700
Height: 361 ft.
Clearance: 150 ft.
Materials: Steel, granite, cement
Engineer/Architect: Sir John Fowler & Sir Benjamin Baker
Constructed by: Sir Thomas Tancred, T.H. Falkiner, Joseph Philips and Sir William Arrol & Co.
OCTÁVIO FRIAS DE OLIVEIRA BRIDGE
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Crosses: Pinheiros River
Date completed: 2008
Type: Cable-stayed bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 5,200 ft.
Height: 453 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: João Valente Filho
HENDERSON WAVES BRIDGE
Location: Singapore
Crosses: Henderson Road
Date completed: 2008
Type: Eclectic
Traffic: Pedestrians, bicycles
Length: 899 ft.
Height: 118 ft.
Materials: Wood, steel
Engineer/Architect: IJP Corp., RSP Architects Planners & Engineers, Ltd. (designers); Adams Kara Taylor Consulting Engineers (engineer)
Constructed by: Evan Lim & Co.
HELIX BRIDGE (THE HELIX)
Location: Singapore
Crosses: Marina Bay
Date completed: 2010
Type: Double helix bridge
Traffic: Pedestrian
Length: 918.6 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Cox Architecture (designer); Arup, Architects 61 (engineers)
Constructed by: Sato Kogyo PTE Ltd and TTJ Design and Engineering PTE Ltd.
On 6 lists
PONT DU GARD
Location: Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard, France
Crosses: Gardon River
Date completed: 40-60 CE
Type: Arch bridge
Traffic: Water (until 6th Century CE)
Length: 902 ft. (originally 1,180 ft.)
Height: 160 ft.
Materials: Stone
Engineer/Architect: Reign of Emperor Claudius (?)
SIDU RIVER BRIDGE
Location: near Yesanguang, Badong, Hubei, China
Crosses: Sidu River
Date completed: 2009
Type: Suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 4,009 ft.
Longest span: 3,000 ft.
Clearance: 1,627 ft.
Materials: Steel
Engineer/Architect: CCCC Second Highway Consultants Co. Ltd.
On 5 lists
KAPELLBRÜCKE (CHAPEL BRIDGE)
Location: Lucerne, Switzerland
Crosses: Reuss River
Date completed: c. 1365; partially destroyed by fire in 1993; rebuilt in 1994
Type: Covered truss footbridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 672 ft. (originally 890 ft.)
Materials: Wood
CHARLES BRIDGE
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Crosses: Vitava River
Date completed: 1402
Type: Bow bridge
Traffic: Pedestrian
Length: 1,692 ft.
Longest span: 44 ft.
Clearance: 43 ft.
Materials: Stone
Engineer/Architect: Peter Parler
BRIDGE OF SIGHS
Location: Venice, Italy
Crosses: Rio di Palazzo
Date completed: 1600
Type: Enclosed bridge
Traffic: Pedestrian
Length: 36 ft.
Materials: Stone
Engineer/Architect: Antonio Contino
IRON BRIDGE
Location: Ironbridge Gorge near Coalbrookdale, England, UK
Crosses: Severn River
Date completed: 1779, opened 1781
Type: Arch bridge
Traffic: pedestrians only (since 1934)
Length: 100 ft. 6 in.
Materials: Cast iron
Engineer/Architect: Thomas Pritchard (design); Abraham Darby III (engineer/builder)
U BEIN BRIDGE
Location: Amarapura, Myanmar
Crosses: Taung Tha Man Lake
Date completed: 1851
Type: Wooden foot bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 3,967 ft.
Materials: Wood
BOSPHORUS BRIDGE (15 JULY MARTYRS BRIDGE; FIRST BOSPHORUS BRIDGE)
Location: Ortaköy neighborhood of Istanbul (Europe) and Beylerbeyi (Asia), Turkey
Crosses: Bosphorus Strait
Date Completed: 1973
Type: Gravity-anchored suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 5,118 ft.
Longest span: 3,524 ft.
Height: 541 ft.
Clearance: 210 ft.
Materials: Steel
Engineer/Architect: Sir Gilbert Roberts, William Brown and Michael Parsons (designers); Freeman Fox & Partners (engineer)
Constructed by: Enka Construction & Industry Co., Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Co. and Hochtief AG
HUMBER BRIDGE
Location: Barton-upon-Humber and Hessle, England, UK
Crosses: Humber estuary
Date completed: 1981
Type: Single-span suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 7,280 ft.
Longest span: 4,626 ft.
Height: 510 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete, Portland cement
Engineer/Architect: Bernard Wex (designer); R.E. Slater ARIBA (architect); Freeman Fox & Partners (engineers)
Constructed by: British Bridge Builders (Sir William Arrol & Co./N.E.I Cranes Ltd, Cleveland Bridge & Engineering and Redpath Dorman Long Ltd)
BANPO BRIDGE (RAINBOW FOUNTAIN BRIDGE)
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Crosses: Han River
Date completed: 1982
Type: Girder bridge (built over Jamsu Bridge) with fountain
Traffic: Motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles
Length: 4,905 ft.
Materials: Steel
Engineer/Architect: Dae Han Consultants Co., Ltd. (designer)
Constructed by: Byucksan Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.
SLAUERHOFFBRUG (“FLYING DRAWBRIDGE”)
Location: Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Crosses: Harlinger Vaart River
Date completed: 2000
Type: Bascule/tail bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 49.2 ft.
Materials: Iron, steel
Engineer/Architect: Emile Asari; Van Driel Mechatronica
ØRESUND BRIDGE
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden
Crosses: Øresund strait (the Sound)
Date completed: 2000
Type: Cable-stayed bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles; rail
Length: 4.8 miles.
Longest span: 1,608 ft.
Height: 669 ft.
Clearance: 187 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Jorgen Nissen, Klaus Falbe Hansen, Niels Gimsing and Georg Rotne (designers); Ove Arup & Partners, Setec, ISC, Gimsing & Madsen (engineers)
Constructed by: Hochtief, Skanska, Højgaard & Schultzand Monberg & Thorsen
On 4 lists
STARI MOST
Location: Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Crosses: Neretva River
Date completed: 1566-1567, destroyed 1993, rebuilt 2004
Type: Arch bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 95.1 ft.
Height: Clearance: 65.6 ft. (at mid-span)
Materials: Stone
Engineer/Architect: Mimar Hayruddin
MACKINAC BRIDGE (“MIGHTY MAC”, “BIG MAC”)
Location: St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, Michigan, US
Crosses: Straits of Mackinac
Date completed: 1957
Type: Suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 4.9 miles.
Longest span: 3,800 ft.
Height: 552 ft.
Clearance: 155 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: David B. Steinman (designer); Abul Hasnat (engineer)
Constructed by: U.S. Steel
SEVERN BRIDGE
Location: Aust, England and Chepstow, Wales, UK
Crosses: River Severn; River Wye
Date completed: 1966
Type: Suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles
Length: 5,240 ft.
Height: 445 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: John Howard & Co., Sir William Arrol & Co., Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company and Dorman Long
CORONADO BRIDGE (SAN DIEGO-CORONADO BRIDGE)
Location: San Diego and Coronado, California, US
Crosses: San Diego Bay
Date completed: 1969
Type: Orthotropic deck bridge on box girder
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 2.1 miles.
Longest span: 660 ft.
Clearance: 200 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Murphy-Pacific
NANPU BRIDGE
Location: Zhongqiu, Jhiazhai, Shanghai, China
Crosses: Huangpu River
Date completed: 1991
Type: Cable-stayed bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 2,493 ft.
Longest span: 1,388 ft.
Height: 151 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Holger S. Svensson, Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute, Shanghai Urban Construction College, Shanghai Urban Construction Design Institute
CONFEDERATION BRIDGE (“THE FIXED LINK”)
Location: Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island and Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, Canada
Crosses: Northumberland Strait
Date completed: 1997
Type: Multi-span post-tensioned concrete box girder bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 8 miles
Longest span: 820 ft.
Height: 197 ft. (at highest point)
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Jean M. Muller
VASCO DA GAMA BRIDGE
Location: Sacavém (near Lisbon) and Alcochete and Montijo, Portugal
Crosses: Tagus River
Date completed: 1998
Type: Cable stayed bridge flanked by viaducts
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 7.7 miles.
Longest span: 1,378 ft.
Height: 509 ft.
Clearance: 148 ft.
Materials: Reinforced concrete
Engineer/Architect: Michel Virlogeux, Armando Rito, Charles Lavigne, and Alain Montois.
MILLENIUM BRIDGE (LONDON MILLENIUM FOOTBRIDGE)
Location: London, England, UK
Crosses: River Thames
Date completed: 2000
Type: Hanging suspension bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 1,066 ft.
Longest span: 472 ft.
Height: 35 ft.
Materials: Steel, aluminum
Engineer/Architect: Arup Group, Foster & Partners, Sir Anthony Caro (designers); Monberg & Thorsen
Constructed by: Sir Robert McAlpine
JUSCELINO KUBITSCHEK BRIDGE
Location: Brasília, Brazil
Crosses: Lake Paranoá
Date completed: 2002
Type: Asymmetric arch bridge with suspended deck
Traffic: Motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles
Length: 3,900 ft.
Longest span: 790 ft.
Height: 200 ft.
Clearance: 59 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Alexandre Chen (designer); Mário Vila Verde (engineer).
THE ROLLING BRIDGE
Location: London, England, UK
Crosses: Paddington Basin
Date completed: 2005
Type: Curling movable truss bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 39 ft.
Materials: Steel, wood
Engineer/Architect: Thomas Heatherwick Studio (designer); SKM Anthony Hunts and Packman Lucas (engineers)
Constructed by: Littlehampton Welding Ltd.
LANGKAWI SKY BRIDGE
Location: Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia
Crosses: Gunung Mat Chinchang
Date completed: 2005 (upgrade 2012-2015)
Type: Curved cable-stayed bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 410 ft.
Height: 269 ft. (tip of pylon to ground)
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Peter Wyss (designer); CEPAS Plan, Angkasa Jurutera Perunding (engineer)
Constructed by: Alam Langkawi, B&O Contruction, BBR Construction Systems
On 3 lists
SI-O-SE POL (ALLAHVERDI KHAN BRIDGE)
Location: Isfahan, Iran
Crosses: Zayanderud
Date completed: 1602
Type: Double-decked arch bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 976.9 ft.
Longest span: 18.4 ft.
Materials: Stone, brick
Engineer/Architect: Allahverdi Khan Undiladze
KAWARAU GORGE SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Location: Otago, South Island, New Zealand
Crosses: Kawaru River
Date completed: 1880 (restored 1988-1989)
Type: Suspension bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 393.7 ft.
Height: 141 ft.
Materials: Stone, wood, steel, iron
Engineer/Architect: Harry Paisley Higginson (designer/engineer)
CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE
Location: Sandy Point State Park (Anne Arundel County) and Stevensville, Kent Island, Maryland, US
Crosses: Chesapeake Bay
Date completed: 1952 (eastbound); 1973 (westbound)
Type: Cantilever and suspension bridge (eastbound); through arch and suspension bridge (westbound)
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 4.33 miles and 4.35 miles.
Longest span: 1,600 ft.
Clearance: 186 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
NOTE: This is not the same as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN CAUSEWAY
Location: Metairie and Mandeville, Louisiana, US
Crosses: Lake Pontchartrain
Date completed: 1956 (southbound); 1969 (northbound)
Type: Low-level trestle with mid-span bascule bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 23.8 miles
Clearance: 15 ft.
Materials: Concrete
Engineer/Architect: Palmer & Baker, Inc.
HUSSAINI HANGING BRIDGE
Location: Gojal, Upper Hunza, Pakistan
Crosses: Borit Lake
Date completed: 1967-1968 (destroyed in 2011 monsoon and reconstructed)
Type: Rope suspension bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Materials: Rope, wood
KAWAZU-NANADARU LOOP BRIDGE
Location: Kawazu, Japan
Date completed: 1982
Type: Double loop
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 3,609 ft.
Height: 147.6 ft.
STORSEISUNDET BRIDGE
Location: Eide & Averøy, Norway
Crosses: Storseisund
Date completed: 1988
Type: Cantilever/girder bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 850 ft.
Longest span: 426.5 ft.
Clearance: 75 ft.
Materials: Concrete
ALAMILLO BRIDGE (PUENTE DEL ALAMILLO)
Location: Seville, Spain
Crosses: Canal de Alfonso XIII/Guadalquivir River
Date completed: 1992
Type: Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 820.2 ft.
Longest span: 656.2 ft.
Height: 459.3 ft.
Materials: Steel, concrete
Engineer/Architect: Santiago Calatrava
TSING MA BRIDGE
Location: Ma Wan Island and Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong, China
Crosses: Ma Wan Channel
Date completed: 1997
Type: Double-decked suspension bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles, rail
Length: 7,087 ft.
Longest span: 4,518 ft.
Clearance: 174 ft.
Materials: Concrete, steel
Engineer/Architect: Mott MacDonald (designer)
Constructed by: Costain, Mitsui, Trafalgar House
DA VINCI BRIDGE (VEBJØRN SAND DA VINCI PROJECT)
Location: Nygård, Ås, Akershus, Norway
Crosses: Highway E-18
Date completed: 2001
Type: Deck arch bridge
Traffic: Pedestrians
Length: 358 ft.
Longest span: 130 ft.
Materials: Wood, steel
Engineer/Architect: Leonardo da Vinci (designer); Vebjørn Sand (architect); Reinhert Structural Engineers (engineer)
ESHIMA OHASHI BRIDGE
Location: Matsue (Shimae Prefecture) and Sakaiminato (Tottori Prefecture), Japan
Crosses: Nakaumi Lake
Date completed: 2004
Type: Rigid-frame bridge
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 5,577.4 ft.
Longest span: 820.2 ft.
Height: 146.6 ft.
Materials: Concrete
DONGHAI BRIDGE (EAST SEA BRIDGE)
Location: Shanghai and Yangshan Port, China
Crosses: Hangzhou Bay
Date completed: 2005
Type: Beam/low viaduct bridge with cable-stayed/semi-fan section
Traffic: Motor vehicles
Length: 20.2 miles.
Longest span: 1,380 ft.
Materials: Steel
Engineer/Architect: Halcrow Group (designer); Shangha Urban Construction Design Institute
Constructed by: China Harbour Engineering Company Group; China Road and Bridge Co.; Gezhouba Group; Major Bridge Engineering Bureau; Shanghai Construction (Group) General Co.; Shanghai Urban Construction (Group) Corp.
DANYANG-KUNSHAN GRAND BRIDGE
Location: Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou and Kunshan, China
Crosses: Yangtze River Delta
Date completed: 2010. Opened: 2011.
Type: Viaduct bridge
Traffic: High-speed rail
Length: 102.4 miles
Height: 100 ft. (average)
Materials: Steel, concrete