Editing Trajan's Bridge (section)

{{short description|Roman segmental arch bridge over the lower Danube}}
{{see also|Roman Dacia}}
{{Infobox bridge
 | bridge_name       = Trajan's Bridge
 | native_name       = {{Langx|la|Pons Traiani}}<br />{{Langx|ro|Podul lui Traian}}<br />{{Langx|sr|Трајанов мост}} / ''Trajanov most''
 | native_name_lang  =
 | image             = Trajan's Bridge Across the Danube, Modern Reconstruction.jpg
 | image_size        = 250px
 | alt               = An [[artist's interpretation]] of Trajan's Bridge depicted upon a light brown surface, with bridge stretching from near shore of river on the bottom left and the far shore in the top right.
 | caption           = Artistic reconstruction (1907)
 | official_name     =
 | other_name        =
 | carries           =
 | crosses           = [[Danube]]
 | locale            = [[Drobeta-Turnu Severin]] ([[Romania]]), [[Kladovo]] ([[Serbia]])
 | owner             =
 | maint             =
 | id                =
 | architect         = [[Apollodorus of Damascus]]
 | designer          =
 | engineering       =
 | design            =
 | material          = Wood, stone
 | length            = {{convert|1135|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 | width             = {{convert|15|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 | height            = {{convert|19|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 | mainspan          =
 | spans             = 20 masonry pillars
 | pierswater        =
 | load              =
 | clearance         =
 | below             =
 | life              =
 | builder           =
 | fabricator        =
 | begin             = 103 AD
 | complete          = 105 AD
 | cost              =
 | open              =
 | inaugurated       =
 | toll              =
 | traffic           =
 | preceded          =
 | followed          =
 | heritage          = [[Monuments of Culture of Exceptional Importance]], and [[Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance (Serbia)|Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance]] (Serbia)
 | collapsed         = Superstructure destroyed by [[Aurelian]] around 270 AD
 | closed            =
 | replaces          =
 | map_image         =
 | map_alt           =
 | map_width         =
 | coordinates       = {{coord|44.623769|22.66705|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:RO}}
 | references        =
 | extra             =
 | embedded          =
  {{Designation list
 | embed = yes
 | designation1 = Serbia
 | designation1_type= [[Cultural Monuments of Exceptional Importance|Archeological Site of Exceptional Importance]]
 | designation1_offname = Pontes with Trajan's Bridge
 | designation1_date = 28 March 1981
 | designation1_number =AN 44<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nasledje.gov.rs/index.cfm/spomenici/pregled_spomenika?spomenik_id=43868|title=Информациони систем непокретних културних добара}}</ref>}}
}}

'''Trajan's Bridge''' ({{langx|ro|Podul lui Traian}}; {{langx|sr|Трајанов мост|translit=Trajanov most}}), also called '''Bridge of Apollodorus over the Danube''', was a [[Roman segmental arch bridge]], the first bridge to be built over the lower [[Danube]] and considered one of the greatest achievements in [[Roman architecture]]. Though it was only functional for 165 years, it is often considered to have been the longest arch bridge in both total span and length for more than 1,000 years.<ref>The bridge seems to have been surpassed in length by another Roman bridge across the Danube, [[Constantine's Bridge (Danube)|Constantine's Bridge]], a little-known structure whose length is given at 2,437&nbsp;m ({{harvnb|Tudor|1974b|p=139}}; {{harvnb|Galliazzo|1994|p=319}}). In China, the 6th century single-span [[Anji Bridge]] had a comparable span of {{convert|123|feet|m|disp=or}}.</ref>

The bridge was completed in 105&nbsp;AD and designed by Emperor [[Trajan]]'s architect [[Apollodorus of Damascus]] before the [[Second Dacian War]] to allow [[Roman army|Roman troops]] to cross the river.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Griggs Jr. |first=Francis E. |title=Trajan's Bridge: The World's First Long-Span Wooden Bridge |url=https://www.bscesjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/CEP-Vol-22-No-1-02.pdf |journal=Civil Engineering Practice}}</ref> Fragmentary ruins of the bridge's [[pier]]s are still in existence.
{{stack|[[File:Podul lui Traian 2021 04.jpg|thumb|300px|Trajan's Bridge northern bank]]}}