Three-way bridge

A three-way bridge (or tri-bridge) is a bridge with three distinct and separate spans, where one end of each span meets at a common point near the centre of the bridge. Unlike other bridges which have two entry-exit points, three-way bridges have three entry-exit points. For this reason, three-way bridges are not to be confused with commonly-found road bridges which carry vehicles in one direction from one entry point, and then bifurcate into two other one-way bridges.[1]

Three-way bridges are located throughout the world, though they are extremely rare. Some are as small as a footbridge, while others are multi-lane roadways.

Three-way bridges are often referred to as "T-bridges" or "Y-bridges", due to their shape when viewed from above. Three cities in Michigan each have a three-way bridge named "The Tridge", combining "tri" and "bridge".[1]

The unique shape of a three-way bridge makes it easy to identify from an airplane. Amelia Earhart described Zanesville, Ohio as "the most recognizable city in the country" because of its Y-shaped bridge,[2] and the pilots of Enola Gay aimed for Hiroshima's T-shaped Aioi Bridge when they dropped the atom bomb.[3]

Locations and features


Bridge name Location Coordinates Description Image
Aioi Bridge Hiroshima, Japan 34°23′47″N 132°27′09″E / 34.3964°N 132.4526°E Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge.
Bergues Bridge (Pont des Bergues) Geneva, Switzerland 46°12′21″N 6°08′49″E / 46.20593°N 6.147054°E Pedestrian Y-bridge over the Rhône.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee building footbridge Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States 35°03′09″N 85°19′04″W / 35.052424°N 85.317862°W T-shaped footbridge.
Bridge With 3 Branches (Le pont à 3 branches) Pont-de-Veyle, France 46°15′59″N 4°52′45″E / 46.266467°N 4.879134°E Pedestrian Y-bridge over the Veyle.
Bridge With Three Entrances (Ponte das Três Entradas) Oliveira do Hospital Municipality, Portugal 40°18′24″N 7°52′16″W / 40.306739°N 7.871198°W Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge.
Caltrava Bridge Petah Tikva, Israel 32°05′30″N 34°51′59″E / 32.091803°N 34.86641°E Y-shaped footbridge designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Camp Evergreen Girl Scouts Camp bridge Cowlitz County, Washington, United States 46°12′40″N 123°12′24″W / 46.211098°N 123.206755°W Pedestrian Y-bridge over Mill Creek.
Chu Y Bridge Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 10°45′03″N 106°41′01″E / 10.750946°N 106.683653°E Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge built in 1937.[4]
Colin Glen Forest Park Tri-Bridge Dunmurry, Northern Ireland 54°34′38″N 6°02′04″W / 54.577218°N 6.034307°W Y-shaped footbridge.
Galena Y-Bridge Galena, Missouri, United States 36°48′19″N 93°27′40″W / 36.805393°N 93.460998°W Y-shaped bridge historically used for vehicle traffic, now a footbridge.
Jasenovac Tri-Bridge Between Jasenovac, Sisak-Moslavina County, Slavonia and Uštica, Bosnia and Herzegovina 45°16′05″N 16°55′01″E / 45.267997°N 16.916949°E Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge originally built in 1973, destroyed in 1991, then re-built in 2005.[5]
Kang Ding Tri-Bridge Kang Ding Xian, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China 30°03′21″N 101°57′55″E / 30.05592°N 101.965254°E Pedestrian Y-bridge.
Kikko Bridge Aoyamakogen Country Club, Mie Prefecture, Japan 34°42′01″N 136°24′04″E / 34.700234°N 136.401003°E Y-shaped footbridge built in 1991.[4]
Krepostnoy Bridge Vyborg, Russia 60°42′56″N 28°43′36″E / 60.7156°N 28.7268°E Vehicle and pedestrian bridge across Krepostnoy Strait of Vyborg Bay, with a generally pedestrian dam to the islet of the Vyborg Castle.
Lune Millennium Bridge Lancaster, Lancashire, England 54°03′08″N 2°48′09″W / 54.052191°N 2.802525°W Y-shaped footbridge.
Louisa/Fort Gay Tri-Bridge Between Fort Gay, West Virginia and Louisa, Kentucky, United States 38°06′59″N 82°35′59″W / 38.11632°N 82.599821°W Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge opened in 1906.[5]
Madrid Rio Y Bridge Madrid, Spain 40°24′18″N 3°43′22″W / 40.405114°N 3.722811°W Y-shaped footbridge over Manzanares River.
Malvina Footbridge Malvina, Mississippi, United States 33°51′08″N 90°55′09″W / 33.852288°N 90.919145°W Wooden vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge built in the late 1920s, and demolished in 1972.[6]
Mangakahia Twin Bridges Nukutawhiti, New Zealand 35°37′26″S 173°50′48″E / 35.623797°S 173.846626°E Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge over Mangakahia River.
Margaret Bridge Budapest, Hungary 47°30′53″N 19°02′37″E / 47.514722°N 19.043611°E Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge.
Noabers Badde, also called Mercedesbrug Veelerveen, Netherlands 53°03′12″N 7°07′39″E / 53.053361°N 7.127363°E Pedestrian Y-bridge built in 1989 at the convergence of the Mussel, Diamonds, and During canals.[7]
Pierre Corneille Bridge (Pont Pierre-Corneille) Rouen, France 49°26′09″N 1°05′44″E / 49.435948°N 1.095497°E Vehicle and pedestrian T-bridge over the Seine.
Raehills Three-Way Footbridge Lockerbie, Scotland 55°13′38″N 3°27′55″W / 55.227105°N 3.465388°W Y-shaped footbridge built in the late 1800s.[8]
Sancha Zijin Bridge/Hama Bridge Xingtai, Hebei, China 37°31′19″N 114°29′08″E / 37.522016°N 114.485609°E Vehicle and pedestrian stone Y-bridge built in 1691.[9]
Staniastate footbridge Staniastate, Oentsjerk, Netherlands 53°15′25″N 5°53′50″E / 53.257006°N 5.897111°E Y-shaped footbridge.
Thetford Footbridge Thetford, England 52°24′48″N 0°44′49″E / 52.413277°N 0.746904°E Y-shaped footbridge.
Three-Way Bridge Lyons Falls, New York, United States 43°37′01″N 75°21′26″W / 43.616879°N 75.357202°W Vehicle and pedestrian wooden T-bridge opened in 1849, replaced with steel in 1916, and demolished in 1965.[10]
Treponti Comacchio, Italy 44°41′35″N 12°11′00″E / 44.692984°N 12.18329°E Five-way stone footbridge at the intersection of five canals, built in 1634.[5]
The Tridge (Brighton) Brighton, Michigan, United States 42°31′50″N 83°46′59″W / 42.530473°N 83.783022°W Y-shaped footbridge.[11]
The Tridge (Midland) Midland, Michigan, United States 43°36′40″N 84°14′55″W / 43.611052°N 84.248689°W Y-shaped footbridge.
The Tridge (Ypsilanti) Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States 42°14′44″N 83°36′42″W / 42.24561°N 83.6116°W Y-shaped footbridge.
Trinity Bridge (Crowland) Crowland, Lincolnshire, England 52°40′33″N 0°10′06″W / 52.6757°N 0.168281°W Y-shaped stone footbridge.
Trinity Bridge (Greater Manchester) Greater Manchester, England 53°28′58″N 2°15′04″W / 53.482717°N 2.251098°W Y-shaped footbridge over River Irwell, designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Vijversburg Estate Tri-Bridge Tytsjerk, Netherlands 53°13′01″N 5°54′28″E / 53.217052°N 5.907743°E Y-shaped footbridge.
Vines Mansion Bridge Loganville, Georgia, United States 33°51′43″N 83°55′25″W / 33.862035°N 83.923614°W Y-shaped footbridge.
Ypsilon Bridge Drammen, Norway 59°44′40″N 10°11′43″E / 59.744396°N 10.195313°E Y-shaped footbridge.
Zanesville Y-Bridge Zanesville, Ohio, United States 39°56′26″N 82°00′52″W / 39.940417°N 82.014306°W Vehicle and pedestrian Y-bridge.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Tridge – Michigan's Three Way Bridge". Kuriositas. January 2, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Y Bridge". Zanesville Muskingum County Conventions & Visitor's Bureau. Retrieved January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Aioi Bridge". Hiroshima & Nagasaki Remembered. Retrieved January 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Beautiful Tri-Bridges Around the World". Emorfes. October 21, 2010.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Tri-Bridges Around the World". November 3, 2012.
  6. ↑ Hays, Gabby (January 22, 2014). "Talking About the T Bridge". Bolivar Bullet.
  7. ↑ "Veelerveen (Gemeente Bellingwedde)". rtvnoord. Retrieved August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Raehills, Wallace's Loup, Footbridge". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved February 2014.
  9. ↑ "Sancha Zijin Bridge aka Hama Bridge". Robert Cortright. Retrieved January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Three-Way Bridge". Village of Lyons Falls. Retrieved January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Brighton Downtown Development Authority - Standard Streetscape Details" (PDF). City of Brighton. July 2006.