The Puente Romano - World's longest surviving ancient bridge

The Puente Romano, or Roman Bridge, is located in Mérida in southwest Spain. Built c. First Century CE, it is the world's longest surviving bridge from ancient times, having once featured an estimated overall length of 755 m with 62 spans. The bridge piers were designed to withstand the river current, as they are rounded on the upstream side and square on the downstream side.

The bridge has undergone significant restorations, once by Sala, a Visigoth, in 686 and once by Philip II in 1610. Seventeen arches were destroyed in 1812 as a defensive measure against an attack during the Battle of Badajoz. Today, there are 60 spans on a length of 721 m between the abutments, totaling 790 m when including the approaches.

The Puente Romano remains in use but was pedestrianized in 1991 as road traffic was redirected to the nearby Lusitania Bridge. It is located near the Alcazaba of Mérida, a Moorish fortification built in 835.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons