The "So, How Many Bridges Does Your City Have?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking some of my favorite websites and came across an interesting story that told of the five cities in the world with the most bridges.  Does the United States stand a chance of having a city with the most bridges in it?  Well, yes they do and the city in the United States with the most bridges is a bit over 200 miles from my house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  You have any guesses?  How about cities in the world that might have a large amount of bridges.  Well, check out the following and see which cities qualify as one of the top 5 cities in the world with the most bridges.

#5 - Venice, Italy.  Venice is one of my favorite cities that Carol and I were lucky enough to visit in 2010 with a group from our church.  According to Venezia Authentica, an informational site, there are 391 bridges in the city of Venice.  I can remember bridges on every corner, but didn't realize there were that many bridges.  You do need them to maneuver around the city, being that they have "roads" filled with water.  The bridges are needed to cross the more than 150 canals within city limits.  The bridges were originally built from wood and laid flat across the canals, making it easy for horses and carts to traverse the city.  But, then when residents began to use boats to traverse the island, the bridges were altered to include archways to allow boats to pass underneath with passage for people above the water.  The most famous bridge in Venice is the Rialto Brige.  It was beautiful and a fantastic piece of architecture as well as one of the hallmarks of the Grand Canal for over 400 years since it was completed in 1591.

Venice, Italy

#4 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Pittsburgh is a bit over 200 miles from Lancaster and has 446 bridges within the city limits.  When I first read this I was wondering how any city in the United States could have that many bridges.  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spends more than $150 million each year keeping all those bridges in good condition.  And, as you might have guessed, most of those bridges are made from steel being that Pittsburgh is known as "Steel City."  The most recognizable bridges in the city are the "Three Sisters" which are the only identical bridges in the United States.  The three bridges cross the Allegheny River, connecting the two halves of the city.

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

#3 - New York City, New York.  The New York Department of Transportation manages 789 bridges.  But, being that there are many more bridges in the city that aren't under the control of the city, that number could be considerably higher.  The most famous bridge in New York is the Brooklyn Bridge.  That bridge opened in 1883 and cost more than $320 million to build in today's dollars.  Most visitors to the city cross the Brooklyn Bridge, but the busiest bridge in the city is the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.  This bridge is also known as the 59th Street Bridge and spans the East River and carries more than 170,000 vehicles each day.  This bridge opened in 1909 and has been known as the Queensboro Bridge, 59th Street Bridge and the Ed Kock Bridge.  It is an impressive cantilevered bridge.

New York City, New York

 #2 - Amsterdam, Netherlands.  The Venice of the North, Amsterdam, surpasses Venice in the amount of bridges with 1,281 bridges.  How can any city have over 1,200 bridges?  Well, the city's 165 canals were developed on swampland.  As people moved to the city they drained sections of the swamp to create dry land on which to build.  The canals surrounded the new area allowing the residents to get around via small boats.  It also made it harder to attack the city.  The city is pedestrian-friendly with all the bridges available to cross.  The Torendluis Bridge is one of the most famous.  It was built in 1648 which makes it the oldest bridge in the city.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

#1 - Hamburg, Germany.  Hamburg has more bridges than any other city in the world with more than 2,300 bridges. Hamburg is one of Germany's 16 federal states with the metropolitan region being home to more than five million people.  Hamburg lies on the river Elbe and two of it's tributaries, the River Alster and the River Bille.  All that water made for plenty of bridges.  Large container ships come in and out of the city every day so bridges were needed for vehicles as well as pedestrian travel.  One of the most famous bridges in Hamburg is the Kolbrand Bridge which was completed in 1974.  The bridge carries more than 38,000 vehicles each day, but another bridge is in the works to replace it, so it can carry even more vehicles.

Hamburg, Germany

So, these are the five cities that have the most bridges.  Hard to believe that one city can have more than 2,300 bridges, but with as many tributaries as they have, I guess all of those bridges are necessary. Also hard to believe that two of those cities are from the United States.  But, neat to know that one is not too far from my home in Lancaster, PA.  It was another extraordinary day int the life of an ordinary guy.