What are the pros and cons of arch bridges?

The pros of arch bridges include their strength and flexibility, while the cons of such bridges include their short length. Arch bridges may be built from natural or manmade materials.

The earliest arch bridges were built by the ancient Greeks and Romans and were made from stone. More modern bridges have been built with concrete, reinforced concrete or steel. The bridges benefit from their ability to flex or bend as they take the load and weight transfers to the abutments on either end. A drawback of early arch bridges were their short lengths, since they typically spanned no more than an average of 800 feet.