Multi-way bridge
A three-way bridge (or tri-bridge) is a bridge with three distinct and separate spans, where one end of each span meets at a common point near the centre of the bridge. Unlike other bridges which have two entry-exit points, three-way bridges have three entry-exit points. For this reason, three-way bridges are not to be confused with commonly found road bridges which carry vehicles in one direction from one entry point, and then bifurcate into two other one-way bridges.[1]
Three-way bridges are located throughout the world, though they are rare. Some are as small as a footbridge, while others are multi-lane roadways.
Three-way bridges are often referred to as "T-bridges" or "Y-bridges", due to their shape when viewed from above. Three cities in Michigan each have a three-way bridge named "The Tridge", combining "tri" and "bridge".[1]
The unique shape of a three-way bridge makes it easy to identify from an airplane. Pilot Amelia Earhart described Zanesville, Ohio as "the most recognizable city in the country" because of its Y-shaped bridge,[2] and the pilots of Enola Gay aimed for Hiroshima's T-shaped Aioi Bridge when they dropped the atom bomb.[3]
Locations and features
Bridge name | Location | Coordinates | Description | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aioi Bridge | Hiroshima, Japan | 34°23′47″N 132°27′09″E / 34.3964°N 132.4526°E | Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge. | |
Bergues Bridge (fr:Pont des Bergues) | Geneva, Switzerland | 46°12′21″N 6°08′49″E / 46.20593°N 6.147054°E | Pedestrian Y-bridge over the Rhône. | |
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee building footbridge | Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States | 35°03′08″N 85°19′05″W / 35.05223°N 85.31798°W | T-shaped footbridge. | |
Bridge With 3 Branches (Le pont à 3 branches) | Pont-de-Veyle, France | 46°15′59″N 4°52′45″E / 46.266467°N 4.879134°E | Pedestrian Y-bridge over the Veyle. | |
Bridge With Three Entrances (Ponte das Três Entradas) | Oliveira do Hospital Municipality, Portugal | 40°18′24″N 7°52′16″W / 40.306739°N 7.871198°W | Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge. | |
Butterfly Bridge | Copenhagen, Denmark | 55°40′40″N 12°35′56″E / 55.677694°N 12.598943°E | Pedestrian Y-bridge. Two of the bridge spans may open for passing sailboats. When both spans open at the same time the bridge resembles a butterfly.[4] | |
Calatrava Bridge | Petah Tikva, Israel | 32°05′30″N 34°51′59″E / 32.091803°N 34.86641°E | Y-shaped footbridge designed by Santiago Calatrava. | |
Camp Evergreen Girl Scouts Camp bridge | Cowlitz County, Washington, United States | 46°12′40″N 123°12′24″W / 46.211098°N 123.206755°W | Pedestrian Y-bridge over Mill Creek. | |
Chu Y Bridge | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 10°45′03″N 106°41′01″E / 10.750946°N 106.683653°E | Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge built in 1937.[5] | |
Colin Glen Forest Park Tri-Bridge | Dunmurry, Northern Ireland | 54°34′38″N 6°02′04″W / 54.577218°N 6.034307°W | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Eco-Viikki Three Way Bridge | Helsinki, Finland | 60°13′34″N 25°02′03″E / 60.226107°N 25.034079°E | Pedestrian Y-bridge. | |
Fogelsangh State Three Way Bridge | Veenklooster, Netherlands | 53°15′48″N 6°06′35″E / 53.263396°N 6.109713°E | Pedestrian Y-bridge. | |
Galena Y-Bridge | Galena, Missouri, United States | 36°48′19″N 93°27′40″W / 36.805393°N 93.460998°W | Y-shaped bridge historically used for vehicle traffic, now a footbridge. | |
Jasenovac Tri-Bridge | Between Jasenovac, Sisak-Moslavina County, Slavonia and Uštica, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 45°16′05″N 16°55′01″E / 45.267997°N 16.916949°E | Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge originally built in 1973, destroyed in 1991, then re-built in 2005.[6] | |
Kang Ding Tri-Bridge | Kang Ding Xian, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China | 30°03′21″N 101°57′55″E / 30.05592°N 101.965254°E | Pedestrian Y-bridge. | |
Kikko Bridge | Aoyamakogen Country Club, Mie Prefecture, Japan | 34°42′01″N 136°24′04″E / 34.700234°N 136.401003°E | Y-shaped footbridge built in 1991.[5] | |
Lune Millennium Bridge | Lancaster, Lancashire, England | 54°03′08″N 2°48′09″W / 54.052191°N 2.802525°W | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Louisa/Fort Gay Tri-Bridge | Between Fort Gay, West Virginia and Louisa, Kentucky, United States | 38°06′59″N 82°35′59″W / 38.11632°N 82.599821°W | Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge opened in 1906.[6] | |
Madrid Rio Y Bridge | Madrid, Spain | 40°24′18″N 3°43′22″W / 40.405114°N 3.722811°W | Y-shaped footbridge over Manzanares River. | |
Malvina Footbridge | Malvina, Mississippi, United States | 33°51′08″N 90°55′09″W / 33.852288°N 90.919145°W | Wooden vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge built in the late 1920s, and demolished in 1972.[7] | |
Mangakahia Twin Bridges | Nukutawhiti, New Zealand | 35°37′26″S 173°50′48″E / 35.623797°S 173.846626°E | Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge over Mangakahia River. | |
Margaret Bridge | Budapest, Hungary | 47°30′53″N 19°02′37″E / 47.514722°N 19.043611°E | Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge. | |
nl:Noabers Badde, also called Mercedesbrug | Veelerveen, Netherlands | 53°03′12″N 7°07′39″E / 53.053361°N 7.127363°E | Pedestrian Y-bridge built in 1989 at the convergence of the Mussel, Diamonds, and During canals.[8] | |
Overseas Highway | Pigeon Key, Florida,United States | 24°42′15″N 81°09′22″W / 24.704289°N 81.155974°W | Partially abandoned vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge. | |
Pierre Corneille Bridge (fr:Pont Pierre-Corneille) | Rouen, France | 49°26′09″N 1°05′44″E / 49.435948°N 1.095497°E | Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge over the Seine. | |
Raehills Three-Way Footbridge | Lockerbie, Scotland | 55°13′38″N 3°27′55″W / 55.227105°N 3.465388°W | Y-shaped footbridge built in the late 1800s.[9] | |
Sancha Zijin Bridge/Hama Bridge | Xingtai, Hebei, China | 37°31′19″N 114°29′08″E / 37.522016°N 114.485609°E | Vehicle and pedestrian stone Y-bridge built in 1691.[10] | |
Staniastate footbridge | Staniastate, Oentsjerk, Netherlands | 53°15′25″N 5°53′50″E / 53.257006°N 5.897111°E | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Strömsborgsbron | Gamla stan, Sweden | 59°19′38″N 18°03′51″E / 59.327304°N 18.064282°E | Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge. | |
Thetford Footbridge | Thetford, England | 52°24′48″N 0°44′49″E / 52.413277°N 0.746904°E | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Three-Way Bridge | Lyons Falls, New York, United States | 43°37′01″N 75°21′26″W / 43.616879°N 75.357202°W | Vehicle and pedestrian wooden T-bridge opened in 1849, replaced with steel in 1916, and demolished in 1965.[11] | |
Treponti | Comacchio, Italy | 44°41′35″N 12°11′00″E / 44.692984°N 12.18329°E | Five-way stone footbridge at the intersection of five canals, built in 1634.[6] | |
The Tridge (Brighton) | Brighton, Michigan, United States | 42°31′50″N 83°46′59″W / 42.530473°N 83.783022°W | Y-shaped footbridge.[12] | |
The Tridge (Midland) | Midland, Michigan, United States | 43°36′40″N 84°14′55″W / 43.611052°N 84.248689°W | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
The Tridge (Ypsilanti) | Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States | 42°14′44″N 83°36′42″W / 42.24561°N 83.6116°W | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Trinity Bridge (Crowland) | Crowland, Lincolnshire, England | 52°40′33″N 0°10′06″W / 52.6757°N 0.168281°W | Y-shaped stone footbridge. | |
Trinity Bridge (Greater Manchester) | Greater Manchester, England | 53°28′58″N 2°15′04″W / 53.482717°N 2.251098°W | Y-shaped footbridge over River Irwell, designed by Santiago Calatrava. | |
Vijversburg Estate Tri-Bridge | Tytsjerk, Netherlands | 53°13′01″N 5°54′28″E / 53.217052°N 5.907743°E | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Vines Mansion Bridge | Loganville, Georgia, United States | 33°51′43″N 83°55′25″W / 33.862035°N 83.923614°W | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Ypsilon Bridge | Drammen, Norway | 59°44′40″N 10°11′43″E / 59.744396°N 10.195313°E | Y-shaped footbridge. | |
Zanesville Y-Bridge | Zanesville, Ohio, United States | 39°56′26″N 82°00′52″W / 39.940417°N 82.014306°W | Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge. |
References
- ^ a b "The Tridge – Michigan's Three Way Bridge". Kuriositas. January 2, 2012.
- ^ "Y Bridge". Zanesville-Muskingum County Visitors Bureau. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Aioi Bridge". Hiroshima & Nagasaki Remembered. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Butterfly Bridge / Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes". ArchDaily. April 19, 2015.
- ^ a b "Beautiful Tri-Bridges Around the World". Emorfes. October 21, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Tri-Bridges Around the World". November 3, 2012.
- ^ "Phalia / Malvina" (PDF). Msgw.org. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Noabers Badde". Structure. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Raehills, Wallace's Loup, Footbridge". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Sancha Zijin Bridge aka Hama Bridge". Robert Cortright. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Three-Way Bridge". Village of Lyons Falls. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Brighton Downtown Development Authority - Standard Streetscape Details" (PDF). City of Brighton. July 2006.