A friend told me he watched a TV show about the top 10 bridges.  I don’t remember the name of the show, or which bridges were on the list, or how they were picked.  But when he described the list, overall it seemed to me that they got it all wrong.  So I came up with my own list. 

10: Yaquina Bay Bridge (Newport Oregon)

The coast highway in Oregon has a series of terrific bridges.  This one is my favorite.  The beautifully proportioned approach arches rise and seen to leap out of the bridge deck for the main span.

9:  Pont Du Gard (France)

One of the largest Roman Aqueducts, it’s a bridge that’s lasted for centuries. 

8:  Brooklyn Bridge (New York City)

Still one of the great bridges and relevant a century after it was built.

7:  Ganter Bridge (Switzerland)

This is a quirky bridge in a spectacular setting.  The Swiss engineers basically invented their own bridge form by embedding the cables in concrete, allowing for a dramatic suspended curved section at one of the approaches.

6:  Tatara Bridge (Japan)

It’s one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, considering its dramatic setting and slender design. 

5:  New River Gorge Bridge (West Virginia)

This bridge shows you just about as well as any in the world what it means to span using an arch. 

4: Great Belt Bridge (Denmark)

One of the most slender suspension bridges, with a unique, sculptured anchorage design.

It’s one of the world’s most beautiful bridges.  If you had to pick one structure to serve as an archetype for “bridge”, this could be it.  The bridge website features fabulous Golden Gate merchandise (http://goldengatebridge.org/).

2:  Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge (Japan)

The world’s longest span.

1:  Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (New York City)

My favorite.

And honorable mention goes to:  The Forth Rail Bridge (Scotland)

Built in reaction to the Firth of Tay Bridge disaster, this design took no chances, and no prisoners.  It’s a hulking, graceless structure that is so ugly it is magnificent.