Wooden_footbridge_in_Luang_Prabang_with_a_worker_busy_at_its_consolidation

A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a height above the ground", a footbridge can also be a lower structure, such as a boardwalk, that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. Bridges range from

stepping stones Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. ...

–possibly the earliest man-made structure to "bridge" water–to elaborate steel structures. Another early bridge would have been simply a fallen tree. In some cases a footbridge can be both functional and artistic. For rural communities in the developing world, a footbridge may be a community's only access to medical clinics, schools, businesses and markets. Simple suspension bridge designs have been developed to be sustainable and easily constructed in such areas using only local materials and labor. An enclosed footbridge between two buildings is sometimes known as a skyway. Bridges providing for both pedestrians and cyclists are often referred to as greenbridges and form an important part of a sustainable transport system. Footbridges are often situated to allow pedestrians to cross water or railways in areas where there are no nearby roads. They are also located across roads to let pedestrians cross safely without slowing traffic. The latter is a type of

pedestrian separation structure A pedestrian separation structure is any structure that removes pedestrians from a roadway, street or railway track. This creates a road junction where vehicles and pedestrians do not interact. This can be considered a type of grade separation s ...

, examples of which are particularly found near schools.

Early history

The simplest type of a bridge is

, so this may have been one of the earliest types of footbridge. Neolithic people also built a form of a boardwalk across marshes, of which the

Sweet Track The Sweet Track is an ancient trackway, or causeway, in the Somerset Levels, England, named after its finder, Ray Sweet. It was built in 3807 BC (determined using dendrochronology) and is the second-oldest timber trackway discovered in th ...

, and the

Post Track The Post Track is an ancient causeway in the valley of the River Brue on the Somerset Levels, England. It dates from around 3838 BCE, making it some 30 years older than the Sweet Track in the same area. Various sections have been scheduled as an ...

are examples from England, that are around 6000 years old. Undoubtedly ancient peoples would also have used

log bridge A log bridge is a timber bridge that uses logs that fall naturally or are intentionally felled or placed across streams. The first man-made bridges with significant span were probably intentionally felled trees. The use of emplaced logs is now ...

s; that is a

timber bridge A timber bridge or wooden bridge is a bridge that uses timber or wood as its principal structural material. One of the first forms of bridge, those of timber have been used since ancient times. History The most ancient form of timber bridge ...

that fall naturally or are intentionally felled or placed across streams. Some of the first man-made bridges with significant span were probably intentionally felled trees. Among the oldest

s is the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden crossing upper Lake Zürich in Switzerland; the prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the

Seedamm The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the ...

date back to 1523 B.C. The first wooden footbridge led across Lake Zürich, followed by several reconstructions at least until the late 2nd century AD, when the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

built a wooden bridge. Between 1358 and 1360,

Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria Rudolf IV (1 November 1339 – 27 July 1365), also called Rudolf the Founder (german: der Stifter), was a scion of the House of Habsburg who ruled as duke of Austria (self-proclaimed archduke), Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as cou ...

, built a 'new' wooden bridge across the lake that has been used to 1878 – measuring approximately in length and wide. On April 6, 2001, the reconstructed wooden footbridge was opened, being the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. A

clapper bridge A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of the English West Country (Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, L ...

is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of Devon ( Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is formed by large flat slabs of stone, often granite or schist, supported on stone piers (across rivers), or resting on the banks of streams. Although often credited with prehistoric origin, most were erected in medieval times, and some in later centuries. A famous example is found in the village of Postbridge. First recorded in the 14th century, the bridge is believed to have been originally built in the 13th century to enable pack horses to cross the river. Nowadays clapper bridges are only used as footbridges. The Kapellbrücke is a footbridge crossing the River Reuss in the city of Lucerne in Switzerland. It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, and one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions. The bridge was originally built 1365 as part of Lucerne's fortifications. An early example of a skyway is the Vasari Corridor, an elevated, enclosed passageway in Florence, Italy, which connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the

Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the presen ...

. Beginning on the south side of the Palazzo Vecchio, it then joins the

Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian muse ...

and leaves on its south side, crossing the Lungarno dei Archibusieri and then following the north bank of the

River Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...

until it crosses the river at

Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge", ) is a medieval stone closed- spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy. The only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during the Second World War, it is noted for the shops ...

. It was built in five months by order of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1565, to the design of Giorgio Vasari.

Bank Bridge Bank Bridge (Russian: ''Bankovsky most'', ''Банковский мост'') is a long pedestrian bridge crossing the Griboedov Canal near the former Assignation Bank in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Like other bridges across the canal, the exist ...

is a famous 25 metre long pedestrian bridge crossing the

Griboedov Canal The Griboyedov Canal or Kanal Griboyedova () is a canal in Saint Petersburg, constructed in 1739 along the existing ''Krivusha'' river. In 1764–90, the canal was deepened and the banks were reinforced and covered with granite. The Griboyedo ...

in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Like other bridges across the canal, the existing structure dates from 1826. The special popularity of the bridge was gained through angular sculptures of four winged lions crowning the

abutment An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining wall ...

s. They were designed by sculptor Pavel Sokolov (1764-1835), who also contributed lions for

Bridge of Lions The Bridge of Lions is a double-leaf bascule bridge that spans the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Augustine, Florida, United States. A part of State Road A1A, it connects downtown St. Augustine to Anastasia Island across Matanzas Bay. A pair of ...

Design

Design of footbridges normally follows the same principles as for other bridges. However, because they are normally significantly lighter than vehicular bridges, they are more vulnerable to vibration and therefore dynamics effects are often given more attention in design. International attention has been drawn to this issue in recent years by problems on the Pont de Solférino in Paris and the Millennium Bridge in London. To ensure footbridges are accessible to disabled and other mobility-impaired people, careful consideration is nowadays also given to provision of access lifts or ramps, as required by relevant legislation (e.g. Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in the UK).Schlaich, Mike, et al., ''Guidelines for the Design of Footbridges'', International Federation for Structural Concrete, 2005, Some old bridges in Venice are now equipped with a

stairlift A stair lift is a mechanical device for lifting people, typically those with disabilities, up and down stairs. For sufficiently wide stairs, a rail is mounted to the treads of the stairs. A chair or lifting platform is attached to the rail. A per ...

so that residents with a disability can cross them.

Types

Types of footbridges include: *

Beam Bridge Beam bridges are the simplest structural forms for bridge spans supported by an abutment or pier at each end. No moments are transferred throughout the support, hence their structural type is known as '' simply supported''. The simplest beam ...

* Boardwalk *

Clapper bridge A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of the English West Country (Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, L ...

Duckboards A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of bridg ...

Timber trackway Historic roads (historic trails in USA and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways ...

Plank road A plank road is a road composed of wooden planks or puncheon logs. Plank roads were commonly found in the Canadian province of Ontario as well as the Northeast and Midwest of the United States in the first half of the 19th century. They were oft ...

, and

Corduroy road A corduroy road or log road is a type of road or timber trackway made by placing logs, perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. The result is an improvement over impassable mud or dirt roads, yet rough in the best ...

Moon bridge A moon bridge (月桥), also known as “''sori-bashi"'' (反り橋) in Japanese, or as a drum bridge (“taiko-bashi” 太鼓橋),Liu, Yan (2020-09-01). "A full moon in another land: The Moon Bridge in the Japanese garden of the Huntington Libra ...

* Simple suspension bridge * Simple truss *

Stepping stones Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. ...

* Zig-zag bridge The residential-scale footbridges all span a short distance and can be used for a broad range of applications. Complicated engineering is not needed and the footbridges are built with readily available materials and basic tools.Jeswald, P. (2005). ''How to build paths, steps & Footbridges''. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing. Different types of design footbridges include: * Timber footbridges * Steel footbridges * Concrete footbridge Footbridges can also be built in the same ways as road or rail bridges; particularly

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical ...

s and

beam bridge Beam bridges are the simplest structural forms for bridge spans supported by an abutment or pier at each end. No moments are transferred throughout the support, hence their structural type is known as '' simply supported''. The simplest beam ...

s. Some former road bridges have had their traffic diverted to alternative crossings and have become pedestrian bridges; examples in the UK include

The Iron Bridge The Iron Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge that crosses the River Severn in Shropshire, England. Opened in 1781, it was the first major bridge in the world to be made of cast iron. Its success inspired the widespread use of cast iron as a str ...

at Ironbridge, Shropshire, the Old Bridge at Pontypridd and Windsor Bridge at Windsor, Berkshire. Most footbridges are equipped with guard rails to reduce the risk of pedestrians falling. Where they pass over busy roads or railways, they may also include a fence or other such barrier to prevent pedestrians from jumping, or throwing projectiles onto the traffic below.

Railways

It was originally usual for passengers to cross from one railway platform to another by stepping over the tracks, but from the mid-19th century onwards safety demanded the provision of a footbridge (or underpass) at busier places. However, in some quieter areas, crossing the line by walking over the tracks is possible.

Catwalk

Narrow footbridges or walkways to allow workers access to parts of a structure otherwise difficult to reach are referred as catwalks or cat walks. Such catwalks are located above a stage ( theater catwalk) in a theater, between parts of a building, along the side of a bridge, on the inside of a tunnel, on the outside of any large storage tank in a refinery or elsewhere, etc. The walkway on the outside (top) of a railroad cars such as

boxcar A boxcar is the North American ( AAR) term for a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is considered one of the most versatile since it can carry most lo ...

s, before air brakes came into use, or on top of some

covered hopper A covered hopper is a self-clearing enclosed railroad freight car with fixed roof, sides, and ends with openings for loading through the roof and bottom openings for unloading. Covered hopper cars are designed for carrying dry bulk loads, varying ...

cars is also called a catwalk. With the exception of those on top of railroad cars, catwalks are equipped with railings or handrails.

In developing countries

Since the early 1980s, several charities have developed standardized footbridge designs that are sustainable for use in

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agree ...

. The first charity to develop such designs was Helvetas, located in Zurich, Switzerland.
Designs that can be sustainably and efficiently used in developing countries are typically made available to the public gratis.

Long footbridges

The record for the longest footbridge in the world was claimed by then New York (state), New York State Governor David Paterson in an Oct. 3, 2009 Poughkeepsie Journal article about The Walkway Poughkeepsie Bridge across the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between New ...

at Poughkeepsie, New York. On July 22, 2017, the

Champlain Bridge Ice Structure Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fr ...

(french: l'Estacade Champlain, a bridge built for bicycles and foot traffic only to parallel the Champlain Bridge from

Brossard, Quebec Brossard (, , ) is a municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada and is part of the Greater Montreal area. According to the 2021 census, Brossard's population was 91,525. It shares powers with the urban agglomeration of Longueui ...

west to Nun's Island (L'ile Des Soeurs) & the Island of Montreal, was measured by a calibrated device as being 7,512 feet (2,292 meters) long or 1.4227 miles or 2.292 km, starting and ending where the treadway rises above the ground and a pedestrian could access the bridge as close as possible to the St Lawrence River.

Sky Bridge 721 Sky Bridge 721 is a suspension footbridge that is the longest of its kind in the world, a record previously held by Gandaki Golden Footbridge. Built in the municipality of Dolní Morava, Czech Republic, the bridge is 721 metres long and is at a ...

, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge, which spans in the

Králický Sněžník Králický Sněžník () or Śnieżnik (Polish: ) is a mountain in Eastern Bohemia, located on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. With , it is the highest mountain of the Snieznik Mountains. Etymology The name ''Sněžník'' or ' ...

mountain in the Czech Republic, opened in May 2022. The bridge hangs above ground. The

United Wholesale Mortgage UWM Holdings Corporation is a national wholesale mortgage lending company headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan. UWM underwrites and provides closing documentation for residential mortgage loans originated by independent mortgage brokers, correspon ...

Pedestrian Bridge in Pontiac, Michigan is the longest enclosed pedestrian bridge, completed on October 1, 2021. The 305 metre bridge was part of a $250 million project to UWM's offices, which converted a former warehouse and utilized shipping containers for offices, corridors, and other spaces. The Walkway Over The Hudson footbridge was originally built for trains, it was recently restored as a pedestrian walkway. The footbridge has a total length of . Before it was demolished in 2011, the

Hornibrook Bridge Hornibrook Bridge is a heritage-listed mostly-demolished road bridge on the Hornibrook Highway over Hays Inlet at Bramble Bay from Brighton, City of Brisbane to Clontarf, Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Manu ...

which crossed

Bramble Bay Bramble Bay is an embayment of Moreton Bay in South East Queensland, Australia. The Brisway map reference is 12 H5, or see page 91 G19 in Refidex. The Houghton Highway, Hornibrook Bridge and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge span Bramble Bay, connec ...

in Queensland, Australia was longer than the Poughkeepsie Bridge at .

Other footbridges

and the

Bridge of Four Lions Bridge of Four Lions (russian: Львиный мост, Мост о четырех львах) is a 28-metre-long pedestrian bridge over the Griboedov Canal in St Petersburg, connecting L'vinyi Drive to Malaya Podyacheskaya Street. The Lion Br ...

in Saint Petersburg * Big Dam Bridge between Little Rock and North Little Rock, Arkansas * Big Four Bridge between Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana *

Capilano Suspension Bridge The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The current bridge is long and above the river. It is part of a private facility with an adm ...

in British Columbia *

Central Elevated Walkway The Central Elevated Walkway is an extensive footbridge network spanning Admiralty, Central and parts of Sheung Wan, near Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. The system was built in phases by the Hong Kong Government and various developers, such ...

, an extensive network of footbridges in Central, Victoria City, Hong Kong *

Chain of Rocks Bridge The old Chain of Rocks Bridge spans the Mississippi River on the north edge of St. Louis, Missouri. The eastern end of the bridge is on Chouteau Island (part of Madison, Illinois), while the western end is on the Missouri shoreline. Its most n ...

near

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

* Corktown Footbridge in Ottawa *

Davenport Skybridge The Davenport Skybridge is a pedestrian cable-stayed bridge that spans River Drive (Highway 67) in downtown Davenport, Iowa. It connects LeClaire Park to a courtyard and parking ramp on 2nd Street, located near the River Music Experience. The b ...

in Davenport, Iowa *

Dunlop Bridge The Dunlop Bridge is a landmark advertising footbridge. There are several of them, situated at a number of different motor racing circuits around the world. The oldest surviving example of this bridge is at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the home of ...

at the

Circuit de la Sarthe The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hou ...

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...

, Sarthe, France *

Esplanade Riel Esplanade Riel is a pedestrian bridge located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was named in honour of Louis Riel. It is a side-spar cable-stayed bridge which spans the Red River connecting downtown Winnipeg with St. Boniface; it is paired with a vehi ...

in Winnipeg, Manitoba * Gateshead Millennium Bridge, London, England *

Goodwill Bridge The Goodwill Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge which spans the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The bridge connects the South Bank Parklands in South Brisbane to Gardens Point in the Brisbane CBD. The Goodwill ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the Sou ...

, Australia *

Gorkha Bridge The Gorkha Bridge is a cantilever footbridge connecting Sirdibas and Kerauja, Gorkha in Nepal. It was constructed with the help of the Department for International Development, engineers from Switzerland, and 400 local workers. The bridge cost ...

in the Gorkha District, Nepal * Ha'penny Bridge in Dublin, Ireland *

Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges The Hungerford Bridge crosses the River Thames in London, and lies between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. Owned by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd (who use its official name of Charing Cross Bridge) it is a steel truss railway bridge ...

, London, England *

Jade Belt Bridge The Jade Belt Bridge (), also known as the ''Camel's Back Bridge'', is an 18th-century pedestrian moon bridge located on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. It is famous for its distinctive tall thin single arch. The Jade Belt Br ...

in the Summer Palace in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 2 ...

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is a footbridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. It opened on September 28, 2008. Interest in a landmark bridge across the Missouri River arose after Omaha and Council ...

, Omaha, Nebraska *

Kingsgate Bridge Kingsgate Bridge is a striking, modern reinforced concrete construction footbridge across the River Wear, in Durham, England. It is a Grade I listed building. It was personally designed in 1963 by Ove Arup, the last structure he ever designed. ...

Durham, England Durham ( , locally ), is a cathedral city and civil parish on the River Wear, County Durham, England. It is an administrative centre of the County Durham District, which is a successor to the historic County Palatine of Durham (which is diffe ...

Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy The Liberty Bridge is a pedestrian bridge in Greenville, South Carolina. It is located at Falls Park on the Reedy, where it crosses the Reedy River above the Reedy River Falls. Description Downtown Greenville is bisected by a wooded valley pa ...

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway bet ...

* Millennium Bridge and the high-level walkways in Tower Bridge in London *

Matagarup Bridge Matagarup Bridge is a suspension pedestrian bridge crossing over the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. Situated approximately half-way between Heirisson Island and the Goongoongup Bridge, it provides pedestrian access between Burswood an ...

in Perth, Western Australia * Mishima Skywalk in Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan *

Newport Southbank Bridge The Newport Southbank Bridge, popularly known as the Purple People Bridge, stretches 2,670 feet over the Ohio River, connecting Newport, Kentucky to downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. History The original bridge first opened on April 1, 1872, under t ...

between Newport, Kentucky and Cincinnati * Pont des Arts in Paris * Ponte Milvio in Rome * Ponte Sant'Angelo in Rome * Pushkinsky and Bogdan Khmelnitsky Pedestrian bridges in Moscow * Rolling Bridge at Paddington Basin, London * St Elmo Bridge in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

, Malta * Southbank footbridge in Southbank, Victoria * Shelby Street Bridge in Nashville, Tennessee * Tournament Bridge* The

Waco Suspension Bridge The Waco Suspension Bridge crosses the Brazos River in Waco, Texas. It is a single-span suspension bridge, with a main span of 475 ft (145 m). Opened on November 20, 1869, it contains nearly 3 million bricks. It is located north of downtown Waco ...

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

* Pedestrian walkway over the

Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection The Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection on the Las Vegas Strip (Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard), is noteworthy for several reasons. It was the first intersection in Las Vegas completely closed to street level pedestrian traff ...

in Paradise, Nevada * Walnut Street Bridges in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...

* Webb bridge in the Melbourne Docklands *

Willimantic Footbridge The Willimantic Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge in the Willimantic section of Windham, Connecticut. Built in 1906, it extends from Main Street southward, across Riverside Drive, railroad tracks, and the Willimantic River, connecting downtown W ...

in Willimantic, Connecticut

Advantages

Much rural travel takes place on local footpaths, tracks and village roads. These provide essential access to water, firewood, farm plots and the classified road network. Communities and/or local government are generally responsible for this infrastructure.

Disadvantages

Pedestrian overpasses over highways or railroads are expensive, especially when elevators or long ramps for wheelchair users are required. Without elevators or ramps, people with mobility handicaps will not be able to use the structure. People may prefer to walk across a busy road rather than climb a bridge, and this may be attributed to being in a hurry, perceiving the safety and security of the footbridge to be low, or simply because of feeling tiredness when climbing the stairs. It is recommended that overpasses should only be used where the number of users justify the costs. The operational concept of the footbridge is based on the notion that pedestrians need to walk a longer distance and exert more physical effort so that the traffic flow is not interrupted. This is not in line with the sustainability goals of the transport system promoting active travel such as walking and cycling. A change of policy to increase safety and

walkability Walkability is a term for planning concepts best understood by the mixed-use of amenities in high-density neighborhoods where people can access said amenities by foot. It is based on the idea that urban spaces should be more than just transport ...

could involve transferring that effort of crossing the road to drivers who will need to wait longer so pedestrians can cross the road safely at street level. Narrow, enclosed structures can result in perceptions of low personal security among users. Wider structures and good lighting can help reduce this.

Gallery

Fagne.Ardenne.JPG, Boardwalk across the High Fens, Ardenne, Belgium Bp bridge.JPG, The

BP Pedestrian Bridge The BP Pedestrian Bridge, or simply BP Bridge, is a girder footbridge in the Loop community area of Chicago, United States. It spans Columbus Drive to connect Maggie Daley Park (formerly, Daley Bicentennial Plaza) with Millennium Park, both ...

is a concealed box girder beam bridge in Millennium Park, Chicago. 20101014 Pantanassa Orthodox Church Porto Lagos Vistonida Lake Xanthi Prefecture Thrace Greece.jpg, A footbridge to an orthodox church in Greece Puente de la Mujer - Puerto Madero.jpg, The Puente de la Mujer in Puerto Madero is a footbridge and swing bridge. Traffic circle with pedestrian overcrossing, China, 1987.jpg, A pedestrian overcross in

Nanjing Road Nanjing Road (; Shanghainese: ''Noecin Lu'') is a road in Shanghai, the eastern part of which is the main shopping district of Shanghai. It is one of the world's busiest shopping streets, along with Fifth Avenue, Oxford Street, Orchard Road, T ...

, Shanghai Footbridge with elevator.jpg, A footbridge with elevators on each corner of a four-way intersection in Tokyo Tamchog Chakzam, Bhutan 01.jpg, Tamchog Chakzam bridge,

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...

Bicycle bridge

Laval-des-Rapides, Laval, QC, Canada - panoramio (23)

A bicycle bridge is a bridge designed to be accessible to both

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...