bridge | WOPULAR

New Jersey bridge collapse derails freight train, causes chemical leak

A rail bridge collapsed on Friday over a creek in southern New Jersey, causing a Conrail freight train to derail and spill hazardous chemicals into the water, authorities said.

Three anarchists get prison terms in Ohio bridge bomb plot

Three men who pleaded guilty to participating in a failed plot to bomb an Ohio bridge in April were sentenced Tuesday to federal prison.

U.S.-Canada bridge deal to be announced Friday

Michigan will get all the benefits of a new international bridge but bear none of the cost or other risk under a long-awaited deal to be announced Friday, the state's lieutenant governor said.

With U.S. infrastructure aging, public funds scant, more projects going private

When the city of Chesapeake, Va., considered closing a crumbling, 80-year-old bridge over the Elizabeth River in 2008, local officials knew that neither the state nor the federal government would pay for a replacement. Just tearing down the old one would cost millions of dollars. So they sold it. “We paid them $10,” said Bob Hellman, one of the investors, but “what we gave them wasn’t just $10.” Hellman’s investors group, American Bridge Partners, agreed to remove the old bridge — and to build a brand-new one, solely with private money.

Senh: This is what Barack Obama will be pushing for next in his failed jobs bill. We'll have to see if Republicans will block it. Why $10? It seems like such an arbitrary number. Why not just $1 for the bridge? But you do what you have to do to survive in this economy. If the federal government won't pay for improving the infrastructure, then let the private companies do it.

Bank plan would help build bridges, boost jobs

American has fallen to 23rd in infrastructure quality globally, with a daunting $2 trillion backlog of needed projects. A national infrastructure bank, gaining support in Congress, could help.

World's Most Stunning Bridges (PHOTOS)

From the epic expanse of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge suspension bridge in Japan to the timeless grandeur of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the world is covered with bridges that are not only marvels of engineering but also of beauty and inspiration.

In honor of these achievements, we present 12 stunning bridges from around the globe which are both wonders of design and icons of the creative spirit. And, perhaps best of all, they're of invaluable use.