4. The Henry Hudson Bridge Was Once the Largest Fixed Arch Bridge in the World
When it opened to traffic, the Henry Hudson Bridge was the longest plate girder arch and fixed arch bridge in the world, boasting an 840-feet-long main span and providing 143 feet of vertical clearance at mid-span, which allowed ships to navigate under it without a lift or swing mechanism.
At the time of its construction, it was considered an engineering marvel, especially given the fact that it took only 18 months to build. It has since been dethroned as the world’s longest fixed arch bridge, not even making it onto the list of the top 50 spans. (China’s Chaotianmen Bridge now claims the title at 1,811 feet.)