Bridges are among the most common and utilitarian structures found in modern society. They are an important element in our individual and collective lives, allowing us to cross rivers, sounds, bays, creeks, railroads and highways with ease and safety.
But this was not always the case. The earliest generations of North Carolinians had few bridges, and crossing obstacles could be arduous tasks involving fords, ferries or circuitous routes.
The past 200 years of North Carolina transportation history have been characterized by a series of improvements aimed at increasing capacity, speed, directness, flexibility and regularity of service. Wagon roads, turnpikes, canals, railroads and highways — each in turn has left a direct and strong series of cumulative imprints on the landscape and environment. Bridges are an integral and highly visible part of the state's historic transportation networks.
Many highway bridges are at or near crossings chosen by that region's early inhabitants. They are the third, fourth, or even fifth-generation structures at their sites — once served perhaps by a ferry or a ford — or they are on a highway that parallels an older road or railroad. While the present bridge may be wider, stronger or realigned for modern traffic, its goal of conveying people and goods has remained much the same since its locale was initially settled and developed. Rare are bridges that were not built in response to already existing transportation demands and patterns.
To further explore the history of North Carolina's bridges and those who designed them, click on the titles on the right side of this page.