The New River Gorge Bridge is an example of which bridge type?

• A. Arch Bridge
• B. Cantilever Bridge
• C. Suspension Bridge
• D. Truss Bridge

Answer: (A)

Arch bridges rely on a curved shape to carry loads primarily in compression and transfer them to the supports at each end. The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel through-arch design, meaning a large curved arch spans the gorge and the roadway is connected to the arch by hangers. The arch itself carries the traffic load and pushes thrust into the abutments, not by suspended cables or by a lattice of triangles alone. This load path is what sets it apart from the other types: suspension bridges use cables and towers; cantilever bridges rely on projecting arms anchored at piers; and truss bridges use a framework of interconnected triangles. So its defining form is the arch, making it an arch bridge.