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Article: Bridges
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BRIDGES
BRIDGES.
Bridges have been essential to America's growth, and countless types were devised to carry highways, railroads, and even canals. Location, materials, cost, traffic, and the ingenuity and creativity of bridge engineers all have influenced the evolution of American bridge technology.
The Colonies and the Early Republic
Large-span bridge building in North America began with the Charles River Bridge at Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1662. Its pile and beam construction was not unlike that used for centuries in Europe. The design placed heavy timber beams across piles that were hand driven into the riverbed. Side members were then tied together by cross beams, and wood ...