Bridging The Gap - historic bridges in the U.S - Brief Article

Travel America, March, 2001 by Alice Ross

In 1883, a grand celebration with much fanfare and fireworks accompanied the opening of what became one of the world's most famous and well known spans, the Brooklyn Bridge.

More than a century later, traffic still backs up for miles as people vie to be among the first to journey across a new bridge or through a new tunnel. Since we pretty much know what awaits on the other side, the construction of these passageways doesn't quite hold the same mystique as did the pioneers' forging raging rivers or Daniel Boone and friends blazing the Wilderness Trail, but they are monumental achievements. And whether it's the first time or the 50th, crossing one of America's many modern marvels is still a thrill.

Currently considered the world's longest over-water bridge is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. Each weekday, 30,000 cars cross the lake on the 24-mile-long bridge, which consists of two parallel two-lane spans, connected by crossovers for emergencies. The lake--a haven for boaters, fishermen, and waterfowl--and the causeway--which seems to stretch endlessly --combine to make a scenic attraction.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is the world's largest bridge-tunnel complex and truly an engineering marvel, carrying travelers over and under the bay for 17.6 miles. It includes four manmade islands perfect for stopping to enjoy the scenery, fishing, dining at the Sea Gull Pier Restaurant, and picking up souvenirs in the gift shop.

California's Golden Gate Bridge is considered one of the world's most beautiful and instantly recognizable by its color, "International Orange." It's estimated that approximately nine million people from around the world visit the bridge each year. Opened in 1937, the bridge took just over four years to build. The 4,200-foot-long suspension span was for a while the world's longest, until it was surpassed by New York's Verrazano Narrows Bridge in 1964.

Florida's bright yellow 183-foot-high Sunshine Skyway Bridge with its fanlike cables soars over Tampa Bay. One of the nation's prettiest bridges, the Sunshine Skyway opened in 1987 and offers many safety features designed to defleet straying ships from its piers. The Skyway offers a great viewing area for tourists to pull over and take pictures.