The Forth Bridge
This railway bridge, spanning the estuary of the
Forth River in Scotland, was the world’s earliest great multispan
cantilever bridge, and at 2,529 m remains one of the longest. It opened
in 1890 and continues to carry passengers and freight. Its distinctive
industrial aesthetic is the result of a forthright and unadorned display
of its structural components. Innovative in style, materials and scale,
the Forth Bridge is an important milestone in bridge design and
construction during the period when railways came to dominate
long-distance land travel.