Overpass vs. Bridge — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 20, 2023
An overpass is a raised structure allowing passage over an obstacle like a road, while a bridge spans over obstacles such as water, valleys, or roads.
Difference Between Overpass and Bridge
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Overpasses are specific infrastructural elements designed primarily to facilitate the uninterrupted flow of traffic over obstacles, most commonly roads or railways. Bridges, while similar in foundational concept, have a broader application, spanning over bodies of water, valleys, and other terrains in addition to roads.
An overpass is usually associated with urban or suburban settings, ensuring that roadways or railways cross without interfering with each other. Conversely, bridges are ubiquitous, found in both urban landscapes and rural settings, serving both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The primary function of an overpass is to eliminate intersections and enhance the flow of traffic. Bridges, on the other hand, can be symbolic, historical, and even aesthetic landmarks beyond their practical use.
In terms of design and engineering, overpasses may primarily focus on functionality and safety for traffic above and below. Bridges often incorporate architectural considerations, especially in iconic structures that define city skylines or scenic views.
Comparison Chart
Primary Use
Facilitate traffic flow
Span over obstacles
ADVERTISEMENT
Location
Mostly urban/suburban
Urban and rural
Spans Over
Roads, railways
Water, valleys, roads, railways
Symbolism
Primarily functional
Can be iconic or symbolic
Design Focus
Traffic safety & flow
Functionality, aesthetics, architectural value
Compare with Definitions
Overpass
A structure eliminating the need for intersections.
The overpass ensures that traffic doesn't stop for the train tracks.
Bridge
Often built over water bodies, valleys, or land.
The city has a scenic bridge over the river.
Overpass
Primarily focused on enhancing traffic flow.
The new overpass has greatly reduced traffic jams.
Bridge
A structure that may have historical or symbolic value.
The old stone bridge tells tales of the town's past.
Overpass
Typically limited to urban or suburban environments.
The city built an overpass to connect the two districts.
Bridge
Often an architectural landmark or aesthetic structure.
The suspension bridge is an engineering marvel.
Overpass
Elevated to prevent road or rail disruptions.
The overpass keeps the highway separate from local roads.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to cross.
Overpass
An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An overpass and underpass together form a grade separation.
Bridge
A structure carrying a road, path, railway, etc. across a river, road, or other obstacle
A bridge across the River Thames
A railway bridge
Overpass
A passage, roadway, or bridge that crosses above another roadway or thoroughfare.
Bridge
The elevated, enclosed platform on a ship from which the captain and officers direct operations
Talbot stepped across the two gunwales and made his way up to the bridge
Overpass
To pass over or across; traverse.
Bridge
The upper bony part of a person's nose
He pushed his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose
Overpass
To go beyond; surpass.
Bridge
A partial denture supported by natural teeth on either side.
Overpass
To go over (a limit or boundary); transgress.
Bridge
The part of a stringed instrument over which the strings are stretched
Ebony bridges and fingerboards
Overpass
To overlook or disregard.
Bridge
A bridge passage or middle eight.
Overpass
A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc.
The homeless man had built a little shelter, complete with cook-stove, beneath a concrete overpass.
Bridge
The support for the tip of a billiard cue formed by the hand.
Overpass
To pass above something, as when flying or moving on a higher road.
Gillian watched the overpassing shoppers on the second floor of the mall, as she relaxed in the bench on the ground floor.
Bridge
An electric circuit with two branches across which a detector or load is connected, used to measure resistance or other property by equalizing the potential across the two ends of a detector, or to rectify an alternating voltage or current.
Overpass
(transitive) To exceed, overstep, or transcend a limit, threshold, or goal.
Marshall was really overpassing his authority when he ordered the security guards to fire their tasers at the trespassers.
The precocious student had really overpassed her peers, and was reading books written for children several years older.
Bridge
A card game related to whist, played by two partnerships of two players who at the beginning of each hand bid for the right to name the trump suit, the highest bid also representing a contract to make a specified number of tricks with a specified suit as trumps.
Overpass
(transitive) To disregard, skip, or miss something.
“Don’t overpass those cheeses; they’re really quite excellent!” gushed Terry, pointing to the buffet table.
Bridge
Be or make a bridge over (something)
Earlier attempts to bridge St George's Channel had failed
A covered walkway bridged the gardens
Overpass
To go over or beyond; to cross; as, to overpass a river; to overpass limits.
Bridge
A structure spanning and providing passage over a gap or barrier, such as a river or roadway.
Overpass
To pass above; - of roadways and other paths; as, the highway overpasses the railroad tracks.
Bridge
Something resembling or analogous to this structure in form or function
A land bridge between the continents.
A bridge of understanding between two countries.
Overpass
To pass over; to omit; to overlook; to disregard.
All the beauties of the EastHe slightly viewed and slightly overpassed.
Bridge
The upper bony ridge of the human nose.
Overpass
To surpass; to excel.
Bridge
The part of a pair of eyeglasses that rests against this ridge.
Overpass
To pass over, away, or off.
Bridge
A fixed or removable replacement for one or several but not all of the natural teeth, usually anchored at each end to a natural tooth.
Overpass
A road or other pathway which passes over another road, railroad, or other path; as, he stopped on the street under the railroad overpass.
Bridge
A thin, upright piece of wood in some stringed instruments that supports the strings above the soundboard.
Overpass
Bridge formed by the upper level of a crossing of two highways at different levels;
An overpass is called a flyover or a flypast in England
Bridge
A transitional passage connecting two subjects or movements.
Overpass
A raised roadway crossing another road or railway.
The highway uses an overpass to cross the city streets.
Bridge
(Nautical) A crosswise platform or enclosed area above the main deck of a ship from which the ship is controlled.
Bridge
A long stick with a notched plate at one end, used to steady the cue in billiards. Also called rest1.
Bridge
The hand used as a support to steady the cue.
Bridge
Any of various instruments for measuring or comparing the characteristics, such as impedance or inductance, of a conductor.
Bridge
An electrical shunt.
Bridge
(Chemistry) An intramolecular connection that spans atoms or groups of atoms.
Bridge
Any of several card games derived from whist, usually played by four people in two partnerships, in which trump is determined by bidding and the hand opposite the declarer is played as a dummy.
Bridge
To build a bridge over.
Bridge
To cross by or as if by a bridge.
Bridge
A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.
Bridge
A construction spanning a waterway, ravine, or valley from an elevated height, allowing for the passage of vehicles, pedestrians, trains, etc.
The rope bridge crosses the river.
Bridge
(anatomy) The upper bony ridge of the human nose.
Rugby players often break the bridge of their noses.
Bridge
(dentistry) A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent teeth.
The dentist pulled out the decayed tooth and put in a bridge.
Bridge
(bowling) The gap between the holes on a bowling ball
Bridge
An arch or superstructure.
Bridge
(nautical) An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.
The first officer is on the bridge.
Bridge
The piece, on string instruments, that supports the strings from the sounding board.
Bridge
A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.
Bridge
A cue modified with a convex arch-shaped notched head attached to the narrow end, used to support a player's (shooter's) cue for extended or tedious shots. Also called a spider.
Bridge
Anything supported at the ends and serving to keep some other thing from resting upon the object spanned, as in engraving, watchmaking, etc., or which forms a platform or staging over which something passes or is conveyed.
Bridge
(wrestling) A defensive position in which the wrestler is supported by his feet and head, belly-up, in order to prevent touch-down of the shoulders and eventually to dislodge an opponent who has established a position on top.
Bridge
(gymnastics) A similar position in gymnastics.
Bridge
A connection, real or abstract.
Bridge
(medicine) A rudimentary procedure before definite solution
ECMO is used as a bridge to surgery to stabilize the patient.
Bridge
(computing) A device which connects two or more computer buses, typically in a transparent manner.
This chip is the bridge between the front-side bus and the I/O bus.
Bridge
(programming) A software component connecting two or more separate systems.
Bridge
(networking) A system which connects two or more local area networks at layer 2 of OSI model.
The LAN bridge uses a spanning tree algorithm.
Bridge
(chemistry) An intramolecular valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.
Bridge
(electronics) An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.
Bridge
(music) A contrasting section within a song that prepares for the return of the original material section.
The lyrics in the song's bridge inverted its meaning.
In the bridge of his 2011 song "It Will Rain", Bruno Mars begs his lover not to "say goodbye."
Bridge
(graph theory) An edge which, if removed, changes a connected graph to one that is not connected.
Bridge
(poetry) A point in a line where a break in a word unit cannot occur.
Bridge
(diplomacy) A statement, such as an offer, that signals a possibility of accord.
Bridge
A day falling between two public holidays and consequently designated as an additional holiday.
Bridge
(electronics) Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit
Bridge
A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; a bridge wall.
Bridge
(cycling) The situation where a lone rider or small group of riders closes the space between them and the rider or group in front.
Bridge
A solid crust of undissolved salt in a water softener.
Bridge
(roller derby) An elongated chain of teammates, connected to the pack, for improved blocking potential.
Bridge
(card games) A card game played with four players playing as two teams of two players each.
Bidding is an essential element of the game of bridge.
Bridge
To be or make a bridge over something.
With enough cable, we can bridge this gorge.
Bridge
To span as if with a bridge.
The two groups were able to bridge their differences.
Bridge
(music) To transition from one piece or section of music to another without stopping.
We need to bridge that jam into "The Eleven".
Bridge
To connect two or more computer buses, networks etc. with a bridge.
Bridge
(wrestling) To go to the bridge position.
Bridge
(roller derby) To employ the bridge tactic. (See Noun section.)
Bridge
A structure, usually of wood, stone, brick, or iron, erected over a river or other water course, or over a chasm, railroad, etc., to make a passageway from one bank to the other.
Bridge
Anything supported at the ends, which serves to keep some other thing from resting upon the object spanned, as in engraving, watchmaking, etc., or which forms a platform or staging over which something passes or is conveyed.
Bridge
The small arch or bar at right angles to the strings of a violin, guitar, etc., serving of raise them and transmit their vibrations to the body of the instrument.
Bridge
A device to measure the resistance of a wire or other conductor forming part of an electric circuit.
Bridge
A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; - usually called a bridge wall.
Bridge
A card game resembling whist.
Bridge
To build a bridge or bridges on or over; as, to bridge a river.
Their simple engineering bridged with felled trees the streams which could not be forded.
Bridge
To open or make a passage, as by a bridge.
Xerxes . . . over HellespontBridging his way, Europe with Asia joined.
Bridge
To find a way of getting over, as a difficulty; - generally with over.
Bridge
A structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
Bridge
A circuit consisting of two branches (4 arms arranged in a diamond configuration) across which a meter is connected
Bridge
Something resembling a bridge in form or function;
His letters provided a bridge across the centuries
Bridge
The hard ridge that forms the upper part of the nose;
Her glasses left marks on the bridge of her nose
Bridge
Any of various card games based on whist for four players
Bridge
A wooden support that holds the strings up
Bridge
A denture anchored to teeth on either side of missing teeth
Bridge
The link between two lenses; rests on nose
Bridge
An upper deck where a ship is steered and the captain stands
Bridge
Connect or reduce the distance between
Bridge
Make a bridge across;
Bridge a river
Bridge
Cross over on a bridge
Bridge
A structure spanning and providing passage over a gap or barrier.
The Golden Gate is a famous bridge in San Francisco.
Bridge
Can be for pedestrians, vehicles, or trains.
The footbridge connects the two parks.
Common Curiosities
Can pedestrians use an overpass?
Some overpasses are designed for pedestrians, but many are for vehicular traffic.
Can a bridge be considered a landmark?
Yes, many bridges are iconic landmarks due to their history or architectural design.
Which is more common in cities, overpasses or bridges?
Both are common, but overpasses are often used to improve traffic flow within cities.
Why are overpasses elevated?
Overpasses are elevated to allow one road or railway to pass over another without intersection.
Are bridges always over water?
No, bridges can span over water, roads, valleys, and other terrains.
Are all overpasses bridges?
Yes, all overpasses are types of bridges, but not all bridges are overpasses.
What materials are used to build overpasses?
Common materials include concrete, steel, and sometimes brick or stone.
How long do bridges typically last?
With proper maintenance, many bridges can last over 100 years.
Are there different types of bridges?
Yes, there are various types like suspension, arch, beam, and truss bridges.
Do bridges have weight limits?
Yes, most bridges have weight limits based on their design and structural integrity.
How do engineers decide where to place an overpass?
Factors include traffic flow, urban planning, and geographical constraints.
What's the primary purpose of a bridge?
To provide passage over a gap or barrier, like water or valleys.
Are there famous overpasses, like there are famous bridges?
While bridges are often more iconic, certain overpasses can be well-known in urban planning or architectural circles.
Is an overpass more expensive to build than a regular road?
Generally, yes, due to the engineering and materials needed for elevated structures.
Can an overpass be considered an architectural marvel?
While overpasses are mainly functional, some have unique designs and can be seen as architectural feats.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Sick vs. Crook
Next Comparison
Millimeter vs. MicrometerAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
