Bridges Grown From Living Trees

Living root bridges span rivers in Meghalaya, India. Shaped from aerial roots of rubber fig trees.

Builders guide pliable roots across streams by hand or train them over wood scaffolds.

Another method uses hollowed-out trunks of areca nut palms to guide roots. Areca nut palms demand serious patience.

Roots can also grow along existing steel wire suspension bridges until strong enough.

In 2017, researchers geo-located a total of 75 living bridges. Most grow between 50 and 1,150 meters.

The longest known example is Rangthylliang bridge, measuring over 50 meters. Healthy roots thicken naturally. Rangthylliang bridge redefines a short walk.

One bridge stretches over 50 metres long.

Once mature, some bridges hold 50 or more people and last several hundred years. Perpetual works in progress.