Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
swing bridge
References
Images
A swing bridge swiveled open to allow boats to pass through the Okeechobee Waterway, Florida.
Britannica AI Icon

swing bridge

engineering
Also known as: pivot bridge
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

A swing bridge swiveled open to allow boats to pass through the Okeechobee Waterway, Florida.
A swing bridge swiveled open to allow boats to pass through the Okeechobee Waterway, Florida.

A swing bridge, also known as a swivel bridge, is a type of movable bridge designed to allow tall boats and ships to pass underneath. It achieves this by being able to pivot or turn, typically on a central turntable. This engineering solution is particularly useful for spanning waterways where navigation is frequent. While effective, the central pivot can sometimes obstruct the river's passage. Swing bridges are one of several types of movable bridges, which also include drawbridges, vertical-lift bridges, and transporter bridges.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. swing bridge
  2. swivel bridge
  3. movable bridge

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.