Bridges Speak to Us...
Bridges are works of Art. This site presents memorable examples of Bridge Art and encourages the creation of new works of Bridge Art.
St. Croix River Crossing, Stillwater, MN -Houghton, WIBridges Speak to Us…
… about the Places they take us. They speak to us about Travel: Profits to be made, Time saved, new Wonders to be seen, or the Excitement of the crossing. They speak to us about the Skill of their designers or the Courage of their builders. They speak to us about the Values and Aspirations of the communities and organizations that pay for them.
Ken Burns Bridge. Worcester - Shrewsbury, MA
Bridges Speak to Us…
By their very Presence: at a location where Nature, Commerce, Travel Demand or Social Opportunity have linspired a community or government to build them.
35th St. Pedestrian Bridge over Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
Bridges Speak to Us…
By their Prominence: Visible from many viewpoints, sometimes from miles away, they Communicate the Importance, Traditions and Taste of their sponsoring communities and governments.
Sixth Street Viaduct, Los Angeles, CA
Bridges Speak to Us…
By their Clarity: their parts are visible to all, and the Purpose of those parts is easily Understood. We all have an Intuitive Knowledge, based on our daily experience, of what it takes to defy gravity. As we look at a bridge, we can understnd how the bridge works, and form our own opinions about whether it works Efficiently and Simply, or is overly Complicated and Wasteful.
WV Rt 9 over the Shenandoah River, Millville, WV
Bridges Speak to Us…
By their Endurance: They become part of the Lives and Memories of generations, affecting hundreds of thousands of People.
Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Washington, DC
“Among every thing that man builds, none are more valuable than Bridges…
. .They are more important than houses, more sacred than shrines. Belonging to everyone and available to everyone, useful, always built with sense, on the spot where many human needs cross, they are more durable than buildings and serve openly and honestly, where all can see.”
– Ivo Andric, Novelist and Nobel Laureate
Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Washington DC[Light above ship is a plane on its way to a landing at Reagan National Airport.]
“Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, intuitions, and desires,…
. . . it’s about sharing the way we experience the world, it is the communication of internal concepts that cannot be faithfully portrayed by words alone.”
The Britannica Dictionary.
Rich Street Bridge, Columbus, OH
Bridges communicate thoughts, emotions, intuitions, & desires. .
. . they illustrate the way humans experience the world, they communicate internal concepts that cannot be faithfully portrayed by words alone.
Veterans Memorial Bridge, Bismarck, ND
Everyone has in their memory images of one or more bridges . . .
. . . that have affected them because the bridges have communicated emotions, intuitions and desires that they value . Prominent bridges like the Brooklyn Bridge or the Golden Gate often fill this role. But so do many more modest bridges that are familiar features of many towns and landscapes.
Virgina Street over the Truckee River, Reno, NV
Which means Bridges are
Works of Art.
And that Bridges that communicate clearly deserve to be praised as
Great Works of Art.
Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, Washington, DC 
“There is nothing more majestic than a bridge…
…no story, poem, painting or sculpture can have that strength.”
– Mathias Enard, Novelist
Cleaewater Memorial Causeway, Clearwater, FLSays Who?
Fred Gottemoeller is considered America’s most distinguished expert on bridge aesthetics. Among his more than 30 bridges are crossings of the Colorado, Mississippi, Missouri, Niagara, Ohio, Potomac and Niagara Rivers. Now retired, Fred is continuing to share his ideas and knowledge in this web site and blog along with journal articles and presentations to designers and students.
Two Important Points:
1. Aesthetic Quality is not something that’s added to structurally sound bridges.
Aesthetic Quality must arise out of the nature and arrangement of the structural members themselves. Nor is it something that can be added by punting bridge design to architects. Designing buildings is fundamentally different than designing bridges. Aesthetic Quality is the responsibility of the engineers designing the bridge, a truth realized by Thomas Telford, the originator of civil engineering in 18th century Britain, and by his many distinguished successors, including John Roebling, Gustav Eiffel, Othmar Amman, David Steinman and, in our own time, Christian Menn and Jorg Schlaich. It is, or should be, one of the standards of good practice observed by all bridge designers.
For more discussion on these points see:
2. Aesthetic Quality can be gained without spending more money on the Bridge.
The notion that it is necessary to spend lots of money to achieve Aesthetic Qualuality is an unfortunate idea borrowed from the worlds of Art and Archtecture. But the Briddge world is a different place. As just pointed out, properly done Asrethetic Quality is it is integral to the structure itself, and the structure is needed in any case.
For more discussion on Cost see:
How do Bridges make an Aesthetic Impression?
The same way paintings, sculpture & buildings do.
35th Street Bridge over Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. Ill 
How can we make our Bridges Works of Art?
Design engineers are the ultimate creators of bridges, and thus responsible for their Quality. Just as no one has the right to build a bridge that is unsafe, no one has the right to build a bridge that is ugly. Here’s how to build bridges that are works of Bridge Art.
Clearwater Memorial Causeway, Clearwater, FLHow can Communities get Involved?
Bridges are built for Communities. As the clients, they deserve to have their bridge embody their ideas, preferences and aspirations. Here’s how to make that happen.
Rich Street Bridge, Columbus, OH
Here’s what the Rest of this Site Contains:
Twelve Examples:
St. Croix River Crossing, Stillwater, MN to Houghton, WIExamples of Bridges that reflect their community’s culture, history and aspirations, demonstrate how they carry their loads and display memorable proportions, details and color. They embody Efficiency, Economy and Elegance, all at the same time.
Thoughts &Ideas/Blog:
St. Croix River Crosing, Stillwater, MN -H oughton, WIThis forum discusses different aspects of Bridge Art, using actual bridges as illustrations. Posts from users aimed at the positive improvement of Bridge Art will be welcome.