Development in Roman stone arch bridges

Abstract

The long success of the Roman Empire depended in large measure on the vast network of roads that was constructed. At its fullest extent this included more than 300 major stone-arch bridges, many still in use. In this article the author categorizes the bridges in terms of date and three basic parameters — maximum span, overall length, and height. This suggests two major periods of construction: the first century B.C. and the first half of the second century A.D. Large bridges are listed.