Bridges presentation
technological developments.
A World Heritage bridge, like other properties, must meet the test of authenticity in design,
materials, workmanship, or setting (the Committee has stressed that reconstruction is only
acceptable if carried out on the basis of complete and detailed documentation of the original artefact
and to no extent on conjecture). The criteria of authenticity may apply to Japanese bridges like the
Kintaikyo spanning the Nishiki River in Iwakuni or Palladio's bridge over the River Brenta at
Bassano a Grappa near Venice (Italy). In the same context, some bridges have been moved when
unable to function at their original location. It is not unusual in the USA, for example, to relocate a
metal truss bridge to a less travelled road when it can no longer handle the traffic; the same probably
holds true for other countries. This is within the functional tradition of some bridge types and should