(happy instrumental music) - [Man] A bridge is a structure that's designed to transcend.

But a great bridge, can do more that link one point to another.

It can define the place where it stands.

More than infrastructure, great bridges are symbols, symbols of human ingenuity, of beauty and grandeur.

Bridges connect us to each other.

But also connect us to the past.

From the global cities of London and New York, to remote villages in Southeast Asia, these are the world's greatest bridges.

(dramatic instrumental music) (ocean surf gently breaking) (slow instrumental music) New York... a city famous for a towering skyline that throughout the 20th century boasted some of the world's tallest buildings.

Looking at the city today, it's hard to imagine that just over a hundred years ago the highest structure here, or anywhere else in the western hemisphere, was this.

The Brooklyn Bridge.

The bridge's towers, measuring 85 meters tall, are today, dwarfed by the modern city that is risen around it.

(upbeat instrumental music) But at the time of its construction in the late 1800s, the grand scale of this iconic bridge was celebrated as a marvel of cutting edge engineering.

The Brooklyn Bridge spans New York's East River, connecting the heart of the city, Manhattan Island, with Brooklyn, one of the region's most densely populated boroughs.

(slow instrumental music) Before the bridge, Brooklyn was a city in its own right.

And like its neighbor New York was amongst the largest in the United States.

With little room to grow food, both cities were heavily reliant on imported goods.

- [Man] Everything in the markets comes from outside the city.

Because there is little space for storage in Manhattan, fresh foods must be delivered to big central markets every day.

- [Man] During the Mid-19th century, with rapidly growing populations, the need for a reliable connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn became increasingly apparent.

For years, architects struggled to design a bridge that would overcome the challenges of both the widths and depths of the chosen section of river.

In 1852, John Roebling, a German-born engineer, began to develop an unconventional approach to spanning the supposedly unbridgeable waterway.

(upbeat instrumental music) To succeed where others before him had failed, Roebling's design relied on a newly available but as yet untested material-- steel wire.

- [Man] From the raw material to the finished product, several thousand men fabricate wire and wire rope from the thickness of a hair to over four inches in diameter.

(upbeat instrumental music) - [Man] Strong enough to support enormous weights but malleable enough to be manipulated, Roebling's revolutionary design included over 20,000 kilometers of steel wire.

(upbeat instrumental music) Armed with his secret weapon, he set his sights on creating the world's largest suspension bridge.

(upbeat instrumental music) But history was to intervene.

Interrupted by the events of the American Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Brooklyn Bridge project was delayed by 17 years.

(slow instrumental music) In 1869, after nearly two decades in waiting, John Roebling finally received Congressional approval to build his bridge.

But he wouldn't live to see the realization of his dream.

While on a pier conducting surveys for the project, his foot was crushed by a docking ferry, leaving him with an injury that would ultimately claim his life.

His son Washington, then age 32, inherited the role of Chief Engineer.

(dramatic instrumental music) With big shoes to fill, Washington Roebling picked up where his father had left off.

His first challenge was the construction of the bridge's enormous granite and sandstone towers.

To reach the solid bedrock beneath the river's muddy floor, workers used massive bottomless wooden boxes known as caissons.

Pumped full of compressed air, these submerged water-tight spaces played host to hundreds of laborers known as sand hogs who used picks and shovels to dig into the river bed.

But as they dug deeper, the sand hogs began to succumb to an illness that baffled doctors.

At the time, the ailment was labeled Caisson Disease.

Today, it's better known as the bends.

In 1870, after fighting an underwater fire on the bridge's foundation, Washington Roebling himself was diagnosed with decompression sickness.

Partially paralyzed, he was confined to his apartment.

And with no prospect of ever returning to work on the construction site, the project was in danger of faltering.

The bridge had ruthlessly robbed a father and son of their futures.

But it was a third and unexpected member of the Roebling family who would ultimately take on the daunting task of completing the bridge.

(upbeat instrumental music) Washington's wife, Emily Roebling, was a woman before her time.

Although her husband was bedridden and unable to talk, she was determined to see his dream become a reality.

- [Man] Although every movement was torture, Roebling devised a code with his wife Emily, tapping on her arm to give her instructions.

Emily in turn studied mathematics, engineering, and bridge design.

Roebling, when he was able, watched the progress from his windows with binoculars.

(upbeat instrumental music) - [Man] By 1883, Emily Roebling had achieved what many had thought impossible.

In an era dominated by men, she had not only completed one of the most complex architectural challenges of the time, but had shown the world what a determined woman could achieve.

- [Man] And then on May 24th, 1883, Roebling looking through his binoculars saw had a his wife described as gray, granite towers standing tall and strong with the cables shimmering in the sun.

And as the mayors of New York and Brooklyn joined with the President, Chester Arthur and Governor Grover Cleveland to officially open the bridge, tears streamed down the faces of Emily and George Roebling.

After 13 torturous years, they had completed their Brooklyn Bridge.

(instrumental country music) - [Man] The first steel suspension bridge ever built, it was also at the time, 50% longer than any other suspension bridge in the world.

The construction cost the equivalent of 320 million dollars in today's currency, but also the lives of more than two dozen workers, including the original designer.

Today, more than 130 years later, Brooklyn Bridge grants passage to an estimated 150,000 vehicles and pedestrians each and every day.

Connected by this iconic structure, the once separate cities of Brooklyn and New York today stand united.

And thanks to one driven family, the Brooklyn Bridge itself stands as a monument to human endeavor and ground breaking engineering.

(dramatic instrumental music) (slow instrumental music) Sydney Harbor, is not only the largest natural harbor in the world, it's also one of the most spectacular... boasting not one but two of the 20th century's most esteemed architectural icons, the Sydney Opera House, and this, the Harbor's crowning glory, the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

(upbeat instrumental music) Sydney is Australia's largest, oldest, and most internationally recognized city.

Whether it's the majesty of its harbor... the sculptural sandstone of its headlands, or its postcard-perfect beaches, Sydney is a city with a deep connection to water.

(ocean waves breaking) Today, Sydney's commuters traverse the world's largest natural harbor, via an extensive fleet of ferries, water taxis, and other commercial watercraft, with the ferries alone carrying more than three times the city's population each year.

But even from the earliest days of European settlement, there have been calls to bridge the harbor linking the city center to its North Shore.

(upbeat instrumental music) More than a cultural icon and architectural wonder, today the Sydney Harbor Bridge plays an integral role in maintaining the city's perpetual motion.

(upbeat instrumental music) This is the world's widest bridge.

Measuring nearly 50 meters across, it boasts eight lanes for vehicle traffic, southbound and northbound rail lines, an enclosed cycle path, dedicated footways for pedestrians, and for those brave enough to take the high road, the famed bridge walk, a route that offers spectacular views over the harbor, and surrounding city.

(slow instrumental music) Today, a critical part of the city's infrastructure, in the late 19th century, a bridge on a harbor was little more than a pipe dream.

It wasn't until the early years of the 20th century that the concept was taken seriously.

But initial designs fell in and out of favor, hindered by bureaucratic wrangling, economic downturn, and the outbreak of the first World War.

As local and federal government spent nearly one and half billion dollars on the war effort, there was little chance of securing funds for a bridge that would only service one city.

(upbeat instrumental music) Following the war, the concept of a bridge regained momentum.

And by 1922, Council Engineer John Bradfield, inspired by New York's Hell Gate single arch bridge, submitted a design that won the hearts and minds of the Parliamentary Committee which soon set the highly anticipated project in motion.

Construction commenced in 1923 under the management of Chief Engineer Bradfield.

Building out from opposing shorelines, the two halves of the steel arch met for the first time in 1930.

Residents from both sides of the harbor watched on in awe as the highly anticipated event slowly took shape before their eyes.

This enormous feat of engineering unfolded within the years of the Great Depression.

And as such, locals often referred to the Harbor Bridge as the Iron Lung.

By employing close to 14,000 workers, its construction breathed life into the city in a time of great need.

The four pylons that bookend the bridge are made from locally sourced granite.

Not necessary from an engineering standpoint, they serve as an aesthetic frame for the bridge, balancing it visually rather than structurally.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge as it stands today is a powerful example of 20th century engineering.

It's made up of over 53,000 tons of steel held together by over six million hand-driven rivets.

While not the longest, this is the largest and tallest steel arch bridge in the world, topping out at 134 meters above the water.

Although its dimensions can vary by up to half a meter as the design incorporates a series of hinges to allow for the expansion of the steel in the hot Sydney sun.

In February 1932, the bridge experienced its first traffic jam before it had even opened.

It was packed with nearly a hundred steam locomotives in order to test its load-bearing capacity.

Immortalized in this image, triumphantly standing upon one of the carriages, John Bradfield declared the bridge safe to be opened.

On the 19th of March 1932, one million people, almost the entire population of the city, were present for the bridge's opening ceremony.

Although the celebrations were interrupted by a bizarre incident.

Before the premier of New South Wales could cut the official ribbon, an intruder beat him to it.

In a rebellious act, right-wing agitator Francis de Groot, dressed in military uniform and mounted on horseback, rode out from the crowd and slashed the ribbon with a sword, declaring the bridge open in the name of the people.

de Groot was promptly arrested.

And with the commotion over, the ribbon was retied and recut by the premier, leaving Sydney-siders to celebrate the historic occasion that would forever change their city.

(slow instrumental music) The Sydney Harbor Bridge is considered one of the great architectural achievements of the 20th century.

Now, 85 years old, it continues to command respect and awe as it crowns one of the world's most spectacular harbor cities.

(dramatic instrumental music) (fast beat instrumental music) London, a city that has influenced the world like few others.

(upbeat instrumental music) Founded in the first century AD, the city at least in part, owes its existence to the river that both divides and sustains it.

It was here at a point where the river Thames narrows that the Romans lay the first foundations of a city that was destined to become one of the most powerful in human history.

Over the centuries, numerous bridges have linked the city with the river's southern banks.

Each in turn lost to calamities like fire, flood, and marauding Viking invasions.

One bridge, however, has not only withstood the ravages of time, but continues to both service London's modern needs and define the river city's rich heritage.

This of course is London's Tower Bridge.

Connecting London's east end to the borough of Suffolk, Tower Bridge triumphantly straddles the River Thames as an icon of Victorian craftsmanship.

(upbeat instrumental music) Contrary to popular belief, the bridge does not take its name from the two 265 meter high pillars that define its structure.

Instead, the bridge is named in honor of the Tower of London, which looms above its northern end.

This 900-year-old fortified castle was once the most heavily guarded location in London.

Over the course of its long history, it's housed royalty, high profile prisoners, and since the early 14th century, the British Royal Family's priceless collection of crown jewels.

(upbeat instrumental music) Tower Bridge was constructed in the late 19th century.

The steel frames of its towers are clad in stone to give it a more traditional appearance.

Deliberately designed to blend in with the architectural style of the Tower of London.

But looks can be deceiving.

(slow instrumental music) The Gothic facade of the bridge conceals the fact that at the time of its conception its ambitious design was well ahead of its time.

Opened in the final years of 1800s, this structure heralded the beginning of a new century and golden age of Engineering.

Approaching the 20th century, London, like most of the Western world, was swept up in a period of rapid modernization.

And the increasing use of automobiles was beginning to impact upon the city's landscape.

A new bridge was required to ease traffic congestion on land while at the same time not restricting the tall masts, smoke stacks, and artillery turrets of river traffic continuing to make use of the River Thames below.

(laughter) To meet this demanding challenge, a design competition was opened to the public in 1877.

Ultimately, a joint design from city architect Sir Horace Jones and engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry was announced as the best solution of the 50 entries.

And construction began in 1886.

The first crucial stage was to create a solid platform from which to work.

To achieve this, over 70,000 tons of concrete was sunk into the river bed to support the ambitious structure above.

(upbeat instrumental music) Tower Bridge's daring design was a combination of suspension and bascule bridge architectures.

From the French, bascule means see-saw.

While small scale drawbridges have been in use since ancient times, it wasn't until the introduction of a new technology in the 1850s that a venture of this magnitude could even be considered.

Today, the two huge hydraulic pumps that raise the bascules are powered by electricity.

But during their initial years, they were driven by early steam engines.

The bascules, each weighing a thousand tons, are counter balanced to minimize the force required to raise them.

The bridge's hubs require five minutes to reach their maximum angle of 86 degrees.

When opened, the bridge granted passage to even the largest of the British naval vessels, allowing them to seek safe haven during tumultuous times.

Today, it remains a mystery as to how or why Tower Bridge avoided any significant damage during the German's massive bombing campaigns of the second World War.

Perhaps envisioning victory, the Germans deliberately avoided it.

Or perhaps it was simply blind luck that protected the bridge from the bombs that rang all around it completely destroying nearby buildings.

In either case, this iconic structure endured the most destructive period of the 20th century.

And continues to stand tall today.

(upbeat instrumental music) While ship traffic on the Thames is not what it once was, Tower Bridge is still required to open its welcoming arms around a thousand times each year.

The high walkways between the bridge's towers were originally designed to both reinforce the structure and to allow pedestrians to cross while the bascules were raised.

But as they quickly earned a reputation as the unseemly haunts of pickpockets and prostitutes, the walkways were closed in 1910 and remained that way for the next 70 years.

Refurbished to their former glory in the 1980s, these walkways now play host to an exhibition focusing on the bridge's unique history.

(upbeat instrumental music) Disguised as a relic of centuries past, but in reality, a construct ahead of its time, in the 21st century, London's Tower Bridge is crossed by more than 40,000 people every day.

A remarkable feat of engineering, it remains as integral to the city's infrastructure today as it's ever been.

(happy instrumental music) (dramatic instrumental music) Some bridges endure not only because they were well built, but because they were built with a timeless appeal.

They are works of art as much as they are works of engineering.

(dramatic instrumental music) Nearly 700 years old, Charles Bridge in the European city of Prague, continues to stand as an iconic master work of both form and function.

The capital of the Czech Republic, Prague is a medieval metropolis with architecture full of history and mystery.

The city prides itself on the preservation of its past.

But time has not left it behind.

Today, the face of Prague exhibits an eclectic mix of ancient architecture and functional modern infrastructure.

Built upon the banks of the Vltava River, one of Europe's landmark trade routes, Prague is a city with no shortage of bridges.

While each serves its purpose and possesses its unique charms, none are as celebrated as Charles Bridge.

It's not the biggest, most trafficked, nor indeed grandest of Prague's bridges, but it is the oldest and most beloved.

Revered not only for its magnificent architecture but its compelling history.

(upbeat instrumental music) The bridge was commissioned by Charles the Fourth, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, in 1357.

Legend has it that Charles himself, in accordance with his belief in numerology, laid the foundation stone at 5:31 am on the ninth of July, in the hope that this auspicious timing would imbue the bridge with strength and endurance.

Whether by fate or fortune, the bridge prevails today, nearly 700 years after that momentous morning.

Charles Bridge was built to replace an older structure that had been irreparably damaged by flood waters some years before.

(upbeat instrumental music) As the only means of crossing the Vltava River between Prague Castle and the city's old town, a new bridge was not only essential for the local people, but critical to the trade route that linked eastern and western Europe.

(upbeat instrumental music) The king entrusted the construction of the bridge to renowned stone mason Peter Parler.

Parler's previous work included the magnificent Gothic architecture of St.

Vitus Cathedral.

(upbeat instrumental music) Located within the king's residence, Prague Castle, St.

Vitus Cathedral continues to stand today as the nation's largest and most prominent church.

(upbeat instrumental music) Parler was a master craftsman and designed the bridge to be resistant to threats both natural and man-made.

He incorporated three fortified towers to defend against the attacks of invading armies and included 16 shallow arches shielded by ice guards to protect the 515 meter long structure from flood damage.

Since its completion in the early 15th century, Charles Bridge has been tested by several natural disasters, including the Great Flood of 1872, which wreaked havoc along the Vltava, and tumultuous periods of human conflict such as the 30 Year War of the 17th century, which saw the bridge besieged by an invading Swedish army.

Although often damaged and scarred throughout its long history, Parler's thoughtful design has endured... continuing to link Prague Castle with the old town and the modern day city with its past.

(happy instrumental music) Today, Charles Bridge, like the historical areas it connects, retains many of its original elements.

But others have been added over time.

The 30 Baroque statues that line the bridge's Gothic parapets began to be introduced in the 17th century.

The first monument appeared in 1657, when the bridge was already over 250 years old.

It was the beginning of a longstanding tradition.

The final statue was placed in 1928.

To preserve the spirit of this custom, today many of the weathered sandstone originals have been replaced with modern replicas.

The bridge's most famous statue is that of Saint John of Nepomuk, a 14th century priest who defied the king by refusing to divulge the Queen's confessions and was consequently drowned in the river below the bridge.

Considered a martyr by some, today it's said that the statue defends the bridge from floods, and that those who rub the bronze plaque below it will receive good luck.

Whether protected by saints, strengthened by numerology, or simply well-designed by a master craftsman, this 14th century Gothic structure has not only survived, but thrived.

In a city defined by its many bridges, after 700 years, Charles Bridge continues to stand out from the crowd.

(dramatic instrumental music) (birds chirping) (slow instrumental music) The world's greatest bridges are often defining symbols of the grand cities in which they stand.

(slow instrumental music) But outside the realms of urban centers, rural bridges, although often more humble in stature, transcend voids that would otherwise separate remote communities.

U Bein Bridge in central Myanmar has served to unite the people of the region for more than 150 years.

Straddling Taungthaman Lake, this is the world's oldest and longest teakwood bridge.

(upbeat instrumental music) The central plains of the nation formally known as Burma play host to a number of culturally and architecturally significant sites.

Mandalay, Myanmar's modern-day cultural capital.

The sprawling ancient temple complex of Bagan.

(upbeat instrumental music) And Inwa, the region's longstanding imperial capital.

All wealthy and powerful cities that in their prime built monumental and enduring architectural wonders.

(upbeat instrumental music) U Bein Bridge, rather than owing its existence to the creative forces of one of these grand empires, was born of Mun's destruction.

The teakwood bones from which this bridge is constructed were taken from the skeleton of Inwa's royal palace.

(slow instrumental music) Which like the rest of the capital was destroyed by a series of major earthquakes in the mid-1800s.

Situated close to modern day Mandalay, Taungthaman Lake has both provided for and separated the communities that have lined its shores for centuries.

(slow instrumental music) Today, U Bein Bridge is both an invaluable passageway for local commuters and source of income as intrepid tourists are drawn off the beaten track to marvel at this humble but elegant man-made wonder.

(upbeat instrumental music) Built in the local traditional style between 1849 and 1851, the bridge's engineers reputedly determined the scale and dimensions of the 1.2 kilometer structure by measuring their footsteps, though not always in a straight line.

(upbeat instrumental music) (slow instrumental music) The deliberately curved design was created to resist the strong winds and water currents that frequent the area.

While this creative thought process has met with some success, the tide of time has begun to take its toll.

Today, an increasing number of the more than 1,000 original teak pylons are beginning to decay, forcing local authorities to shore up the structure with concrete beams.

(slow instrumental music) Today, the teakwood bones that once supported a mighty palace are used to not only support the U Bein Bridge but the communities that depend upon it for survival.

Locals fear that without extensive restoration, this iconic bridge could soon be condemned to a watery grave, like so many of the world's wooden bridges before it.

(dramatic instrumental music) (upbeat instrumental music) The Golden Gate Bridge, once the longest and tallest suspension bridge on the planet, is considered one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world.

(upbeat instrumental music) Although newer bridges have since surpassed its sprawling dimensions, none have come close to matching its prestige and enduring allure.

More than 80 years since its completion, the Golden Gate is believed to be the most photographed bridge in the world.

This prominent structure connects the city of San Francisco with Marin County in the American state of California.

(ocean surf breaking gently) (upbeat instrumental music) San Francisco has always existed on the cutting edge.

(upbeat instrumental music) From its manic growth during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s to the heart of the Hippie Movement in the 1960s to fearlessly reinventing itself as the epicenter of globalism we see today.

Like all major cities, throughout its history, San Francisco has faced its fair share of challenges.

But with trademark flair, it's often chosen to face them with a healthy mix of pragmatism and creative thinking.

In the mid-19th century, to overcome the ups and downs of the city's notoriously hilly landscape, the industrious locals introduced a series of iconic cable car systems, some of which still serve the community today.

Then in the 20th century, to ensure their prisoners remain imprisoned, the city simply incarcerated them on a heavily fortified rock in the middle of the bay.

Reputedly inescapable, Alcatraz was a simple but elegant solution.

But for all their ingenuity, even the greatest minds of early 20th century San Francisco struggled to find a way to tackle one persistent challenge.

(slow instrumental music) For decades, the dream of a bridge that could connect San Francisco to the Marin headlands across the Golden Gate straight was just that.

A dream.

Spanning more than one and a half kilometers, the channel, with its powerful tides and deep water, was also frequented by strong winds, dense fogs, and the occasional earthquake... leading many to conclude that the construction of a bridge here was simply impossible.

Overly reliant on ferries in a rapidly modernizing world, San Francisco became increasingly isolated from the economic potential of its surrounding communities.

To avoid being left behind by the rest of the country, it became clear that the impossible needed to be attempted.

(upbeat instrumental music) (birds chirping) In 1916, an ambitious engineer by the name of Joseph Strauss submitted a design for consideration.

Strauss was a capable and accomplished bridge builder.

But his initial cantilever design met with little enthusiasm from skeptical city planners.

(slow instrumental music) Undeterred, he went back to the drawing board, enlisting the help of a team of academic engineers, including Leon Moisseiff, the designer of New York's acclaimed Manhattan Bridge.

(fast beat instrumental music) Moisseiff envisioned a more elegant solution to the problem.

A cable suspension bridge measuring nearly 1,300 meters long and over 200 meters high, which, if completed, would become the longest and tallest bridge the world had ever seen.

(upbeat instrumental music) Both eye-catching and functional, the new design quickly gained favor and the impossible bridge was given the green light.

But just as momentum began to gather, the project faced its toughest challenge yet-- political opposition.

The US Navy feared the structure may interfere with established shipping lanes.

Unions demanded preferential treatment for local workers and the South Pacific Railway, a powerful company with a vested interest in the local ferry industry, attempted to derail the project by filing a number of lawsuits.

The bridge was in danger of collapsing before it had even been built.

But Strauss hadn't come this far to fail.

Defending his plans on several fronts, he successfully navigated the complexities before him and by 1933, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge had finally commenced.

(upbeat instrumental music) While Strauss retained the title of Chief Engineer, it was the more experienced Moisseiff and other highly regarded professionals that oversaw the majority of the bridge's design and construction.

(upbeat instrumental music) - We're all set here.

Are you ready, Barnes?

- [Man] The building Of The Golden Gate Bridge forged ahead in the midst of the Great Depression, one of the greatest economics slumps in history.

(upbeat instrumental music) The construction crew was made up of unemployed clerks, farmers, and any able-bodied man willing to undertake the potentially dangerous work.

Strauss, despite the additional cost in tough times, insisted that safety nets be installed to protect his workers.

Those that fell and were saved by these nets gained instant membership to a select guild, infamously known as the Halfway to Hell Club.

In all, Strauss's net saved a total of 19 men who would've otherwise fallen to a certain death.

(slow instrumental music) The Golden Gate Bridge was opened on May the 27th, 1937.

(crowd cheering) Once thought an impossible task, the construction of this magnificent structure cost more than 35 million dollars, nearly half a billion dollars in today's money, but was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

In the spirit of a city that is famous for thinking outside the box, the brilliant minds behind the concept, design, and construction of the Gold Gate Bridge fused revolutionary engineering with stunning artistry to create a structure that has served not only as a form of critical infrastructure but as a symbol of what mankind kind can achieve with passion, audacity, and persistence.

(upbeat instrumental music) Great bridges serve as more than a means of transport for people, cars, and trains.

They serve as living landmarks of the places where they stand.

(dramatic instrumental music) Often taken for granted, these time-tested structures are feats of engineering, all the more impressive for their artistry and their history.

While the dimensions of a great bridge can be measured... and its value, its infrastructure quantified, the iconic worth of the world's greatest bridges is limitless.

(dramatic instrumental music)