These famous bridges, which connect the two coasts or overcome the obstacles, have gone beyond their functions with their innovative engineering & interesting designs and become an architectural symbol of the cities they are located in. In this article, we provide information about the best bridge designs in the world, each of which is an engineering and design wonder.

The pedestrian bridges below not only provide a safe and enjoyable pass for cyclists and pedestrians! At the same time, these bridges, with their designs in harmony with their environmental context, have clever solutions that do not obstruct the existing traffic on vehicles or waterways. 

Here are the best bridge designs and famous bridges from all over the world, from Portugal to Canada!

BP Pedestrian Bridge

• Location: Chicago 
• Complated: 2004 
• Designer: SOM and Gehry Partners 

Famous architect Frank Gehry’s pedestrian bridge design that resembles a giant snake connects both parts of Grant Park which are Maggie Daley Park and Millennium Park “another Gehry design”. Built in conjunction with SOM, the structure is covered with brushed stainless steel panels that act as a sound barrier that dampens Columbus Drive noise. This famous bridge was built for the use of the disabled people with its curved form and slight inclination.

Peace Bridge

• Location: Calgary , Alberta , Canada 
• Complated: 2012 
• Designer: Santiago Calatrava 

The structure, designed by another famous architect Santiago Calatrava , crosses the Bow River and connects a settlement to the city center. Partially closed spiral structure contains a red and white bicycle lane with pedestrian paths on both sides. The colors red and white symbolize the flags of Canada and Calgary. 

Gateshead Millennium

• Location: England 
• Complated: 2001 
• Designer: Wilkinson Eyre 

This curved bridge located on the Tyne River was designed by the architectural firm Wilkinson Eyre. The bridge connecting the Gateshead Quays and the north side of Newcastle was built to allow ships to pass underneath, with its eye-shaped collapsible structure. 800 tons of steel was used in the construction of this 126 meters long and 8 meters wide structure, which is a complete engineering wonder.

The Luchtsingel

• Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands 
• Complated: 2015 
• Designer: ZUS 

Luchtsingel – connecting the northern and central regions of Rotterdam in the Netherlands-  was built to stimulate development and economic growth in neglected areas. This 400-meter-long pedestrian bridge was designed by the Dutch architectural firm ZUS. “Luchtsingel ” meaning air channel ; It connects three urban areas broken off by a highway, a railway and a building. The wooden structure, funded by donations collected from the public, is covered with plates include names of the sponsors.

Merchant Square Footbridge

• Location: London 
• Complated: 2014 
• Designer: Knight Architects 

This fan shaped footbridge over the Grand Union canal in London was designed by Knight Architects. 20 meter long Merchant Square Bridge can be opened and closed by raising 5 steel beams with a hydraulic jack. The beams, which are opened elegantly so that the boats can pass through the channel, are positioned at different angles, creating a fan view. With this feature, the structure is also called as “fan bridge” by the local people. 

Webb Bridge

• Location: Melbourne, Australia 
• Complated: 2003 
• Designer: Denton Corker Marshall and Robert Owen 

Architecture firm Denton Corker Marshall and artist Robert Owen worked together on this interesting bridge design in Melbourne’s Docklands neighborhood. The Webb bridge connects an out of service railroad structure to the southern banks of the Yarra River. Covered with an impressive steel cage, the winding structure provides the slope of the ramp suitable for pedestrian and cyclist access.

Moses Bridge

• Location: Halsteren , Netherlands 
• Complated: 2011 
• Designer: RO&AD Architecten 

One of the best bridge design in the world, Moses Bridge was built into a water filled moat in the region during the restoration of Roovere Castle. The Bridge was designed in a way that it is not visible from afar with its submerged structure. The idea of ​​burying the structure in the water was inspired by the ditch’s function to defend the castle in the 17th century. Waterproofing wooden materials were used in the construction. Thus, a bridge was built that respects both its historical and environmental context.

Ponte Segunda Circular

• Location: Lisbon, Portugal 
• Complated: 2015 
• Designer: MXT Studio 

This pedestrian bridge – designed by Maximina Almeida and Telmo Cruz -,  is constructed with steel material. The vibrant orange colored bridge design has been made to create an accessible network of connections for pedestrians and cyclists. Each of the passageways is designed to target the surrounding landscape.

The Jetty to Mont-Saint-Michel

• Location: Mont-Saint- Michel , France 
• Complated: 2014 
• Designer: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes 

This famous bridge – Designed by ” Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes ” – , was built to reach the medieval French city of Mont-Saint- Michel on the Normandy coast . This 1600 meter long pedestrian bridge connects Mont-Saint- Michel, a highly touristic place with 44 people, to the mainland.

Millennium Bridge

Location: London 

Complated: 2000 

Designer: Foster + Partners , Anthony Caro and Arup 

One of the best bridge designs in the world, the Millennium Bridge in London is located on the River Thames , connecting the Bankside part of London with the city center. Designed by famous architecture firm Foster + Partners, sculptor Anthony Caro, and engineering firm Arup, the structure has emerged as a joint product of architecture, art and engineering. The famous bridge opened in 2000, but later temporarily closed due to an unaccounted problem. The structure has been reopened by adding dampers to control the sway caused by pedestrians walking at similar periodical steps.

Butterfly Bridge

• Location: Copenhagen 
• Complated: 2015 
• Designer: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes 

Butterfly Bridge – Located in Copenhagen- is a combination of three bridges connecting the banks of Christianshavns canal. The structure takes its name from the fact that its two wings rise independently with steel springs to form a butterfly shape.

Cirkelbroen

• Location: Copenhagen 
• Complated: 2015 
• Designer: Olafur Eliasson 

Artist Olafur Eliasson was inspired by a series of ships anchored side by side in the design of the Cirkelbroen Bridge on the Christianshavns canal in Copenhagen. The structure – designed for the passage of pedestrians and cyclists – consists of a combination of five round platforms with posts. This amazing bridge design with a length of 40 meters was completed in 2015.

Nelson Street Cycleway

• Location: Auckland , New Zealand 
• Complated: 2015 
• Designer: Monk Mackenzie Architects , LandLAB and Katz Maihi 

This bicycle path, also called ” LightpathAKL “, was created using a six hundred meter highway infrastructure. An old disused highway segment was converted and reused to complement Auckland’s urban cycling network. A very vibrant and provocative pink surfacing is applied to the old asphalt highway, transforming the area from an abandoned highway into a highly contemporary urban space used by cyclists and pedestrians. 300 adjustable LED light boxes are placed along one side of the bicycle path so that it can be used in the evenings.

Scale Lane

• Location: Hull , UK 
• Complated: 2013 
• Designer: McDowell + Benedetti 

With its comma-like shape, the Scale Lane Bridge provides an extraordinary passageway along the Hull River. The black steel structure – Designed by the architectural firm McDowell + Benedetti – has a rotating mechanism that does not disrupt the river traffic. The slow opening and closing of the structure allows passengers to use the bridge while on the move.

Melkwegbridge

• Location: Purmerend , Netherlands 
• Complated: 2006 
• Designer: NEXT Architects 

Melkwegbridge – located in Purmerend city ​​and designed by NEXT Architects – has two different usage levels for pedestrians and cyclists. Pedestrians pass through the canal through a large 12-meter high arch overlooking the breathtaking view from the hill. The underpass is designed to allow the passage of the traveling boats with its separable feature.

Pedro e Inês Pedestrian Bridge

• Location: Coimbra , Portugal 
• Complated: 2007 
• Designer: Balmond Studio 

With its lightning-like shape, the Pedro e Inês pedestrian bridge in Coimbra appears to be floating in the air. The 900-meter-long structure – designed by Balmond Studio  – stands out with its colorful glass railings. The name and design of the bridge is inspired by the story of a couple of Portuguese lovers from the 14th century.

The Paleisbrug

• Location: ‘s- Hertogenbosch , Netherlands 
• Complated: 2015 
• Designer: Benthem Crouwel Architects 

By connecting Hertogenbosch’s historic city center and the newly developed district of Paleiskwartier, Paleisbrug is an elevated park, pedestrian and bicycle bridge. This ecological bridge design provides a pedestrian crossing over the 250-meter-wide train line. Landscape architect Piet Oudolf designed a special landscape on the structure with low plants that do not obstruct the view. In addition, the famous bridge is equipped with a large solar collector that provides energy for its surroundings.

La Roche-sur-Yon Pedestrian Bridge

• Location: La Roche -sur-Yon, France 
• Complated: 2010 
• Designer: Bernard Tschumi Architects and Hugh Dutton & Associés 

Connecting the new neighborhoods with the historic city center, this fun structure provides an important urban link for the city by crossing high-speed railways. A thick tubular structure has been transformed into a fun transition tunnel by covering it with an attractive red triangular patterned grid. The passage, which is approximately 220 meters long, was built using 130 tons of steel. 

We hope you liked our article “The best bridge designs and famous bridges in the world”. If you have any other interesting bridge designs that you think should be on this list, please share them with us in the comments. You can visit our homepage for other design ideas. 🙂

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