Macestus Bridge

Macestus Bridge
Elevation and plan of the Macestus Bridge
Coordinates39°51′55″N 28°09′53″E / 39.865278°N 28.164722°E / 39.865278; 28.164722
CarriesHadrianu Therai-Miletopolis road
CrossesSimav River (classical Macestus)
LocaleMysia
Characteristics
DesignHalf-open spandrel segmental arch bridge
MaterialStone and brick
Total length234 m (without ramps)
Width6.35 m
Longest span14.20 m
No. of spans13
History
Construction endPossibly 4th century AD
Closedc. 1870s
Location
Map

The Macestus Bridge or Bridge of Sultançayır was a Roman bridge across the Macestus River (Turkish: Simav or Susurluk Çayı) at Balıkesir, in the northwestern part of modern-day Turkey. Its flattened arches, slender piers and the hollow chamber system documented the progress made in late antique bridge building. A first cursory investigation of the 234 m long structure was conducted in the early 20th century, but since then its existence has been largely neglected by scholars. Current photos from 2009 show that the bridge has collapsed in the meantime.