The continuous span...
gives beam bridges the ability to span great distances. A single beam bridge rarely spans more than 250 feet. But, as in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, several beam bridges can be linked together, creating what is called a continuous span.

The movable bridge...
like the George P. Coleman Bridge, has a deck that moves. A swing bridge has a deck that rotates around a center point; a drawbridge has a deck that can be raised and lowered; a bascule bridge deck is raised with counterweights like a drawbridge; and the deck of a lift bridge is raised vertically like a massive elevator.