Ponte Lucano
About
Marcus Plautius Lucanus gave his name to this stone bridge carrying the Via Tiburtina across the Aniene on the approach to Tibur. Travelers from Rome crossed it for nearly two thousand years afterward; it stayed in use until the mid-20th century. By 117 CE it has carried traffic toward Tibur's sanctuaries for roughly a century, with its builder's family tomb rising beside the road just steps away.
What happened here
Piers are set on cofferdams — a ring of driven piles, pumped dry, filled with concrete that sets under water. They are built with a cutwater pointing upstream to split the current and the ice. The span above may be stone arches or timber on stone, and timber is not a poor relation: it is cheaper, faster, and replaceable. Roads approach on an embankment so the crossing stays level. Tolls are common, shrines at either end are usual, and the inscription names whoever paid. Floods are the enemy; a bridge is inspected after every big one, and the scour around the piers is packed with rubble. A bridge fixes a town's position for a thousand years, which is why so many are still standing.
Sources
Nearby
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