From Rome’s Pons Sublicius over the Tiber River, built in 642 B.C., to China’s Qingdao Haiwan, the longest in the world at 41.6 kilometres, bridges throughout history have been at the frontier of engineering innovation at the service of improving people’s lives.
A bridge’s contribution to social and economic change is undeniable. As recently as 2012, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco published a study showing how for every $1 spent on bridge construction, $2 was generated in economic growth for the area served by the new infrastructure.
If a bridge reduces distances – the span between Hong Kong and Macao will shorten the drive between the two cities from 160 to 30 kilometres when it opens in the coming months –it also contributes to trade and cultural exchange, as is the case with the new Gordie Howe International Bridge that will connect Windsor in Ontario, Canada, with Detroit in Michigan. Its impact on international trade will be greater than any bridge ever built.
Technology and development: Salini Impregilo’s 100 bridges
