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Shropshire Iron Bridge
The world's first cast iron bridge, built across the River Severn in Shropshire, England by Abraham Darby III (1750-89). It was completed in 1779 and opened to the public on New Year's Day, 1781. The design had to be a single-span arch to allow shipping to pass underneath. The bridge used some 385 tons of iron. The project showed that iron could be used for such large projects and many more followed during the Industrial Revolution. The bridge is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.