Notable bridge failures include the collapse of the Firth of Tay Bridge in Scotland in 1879, the collapse of the Québec Bridge in Canada while under construction in 1907, and the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, nicknamed Galloping Gertie, in Washington State in 1940.

IV HISTORY
The different sizes and shapes of bridges encountered today reflect thousands of years of progress in engineering, technology, and building materials. A Early and Medieval Bridges
In ancient times, builders would throw a log across a stream or use two vines or ropes (the upper for a handhold and the lower for a foothold) to create a crossing. The earliest rudimentary arches (built from 4000 to 2000 BC) consisted of stones balanced on top of one another. The ancient Romans perfected stone arch design and were the first to build large-scale bridges, many of which still stand today. The largest remaining ancient Roman aqueduct, the Pont du Gard in southern France, is 270 m (886 ft) long and consists of three tiers of semicircular stone arches. The Romans built the Pont du Gard in the late 1st century BC or the early 1st century AD. The aqueduct stands approximately 47 m (155 ft) tall, and the longest arch spans 24 m (80 ft). The ancient Chinese also built many notable bridges. In the 7th century AD, bridge designer Li Chun built the Anji Bridge south of Beijing using a stone arch built of massive limestone wedges reinforced with iron. The innovative main arch of the Anji curves in a shallow arc or segment of a circle, rather than the half circle preferred by Roman engineers at the time. The Anji Bridge, which spans 37 m (121 ft), predates any comparable development in Europe by several hundred years.
From ancient times through the 16th century, designers made few engineering advances. Masonry arch construction remained the premier choice for bridge design. In the Middle Ages in Europe, religious orders administered bridge construction. Considered pious works, bridges often had chapels and were decorated with effigies of saints. Inhabited bridges were developed during the Renaissance. These bridges were exemplified by the Ponte Vecchio, 100 m (330 ft) long, in Florence, Italy, designed by Taddeo Gaddi in 1345; and by the Rialto Bridge, 27 m (89 ft) long, in Venice, Italy, designed by Antonio da Ponte in 1591. Shops were built directly on the roadway of these bridges, and rents were used to finance new public works.
B Iron and Steel Bridges
The widespread use of iron in the 18th century and the introduction of the steam locomotive in the 19th century encouraged rapid innovation in bridge design. Engineers made more advances in the first half of the 19th century than they had in the previous 1,800 years. As the railroad industry developed, bridges rapidly increased in height, span, strength, and numbers. Iron was plentiful, cheap, much stronger than wood, and more flexible than stone.