While skyscrapers and urban planning sometimes gets the most media attention, there’s no denying that bridge construction remains one of the most intricate – and expensive – architectural undertakings in the world. From planning, to rendering, and actual construction, these projects are a billion-dollar industry that continues to grow each year.
In the United States alone, there are 614,387 bridges (worldwide, of course, there are millions more). The oldest bridge ever built that is still in use is located in Turkey. This single-arch, slab-stone bridge crosses the river Meles in Smyrna (formerly known as Izmir), Turkey. This bridge was built in 850 B.C. and, through proper maintenance, it is still able to be used to this day.
Equipment manufacturers like Caterpillar and engineering companies like N5 Global team up for hundred-million-dollar projects like the ones you’ll see on this list. Here are the most expensive bridges ever built around the world.