Telford, Thomas (1757-1834), a Scottish civil engineer, was the greatest of the early builders of iron bridges. Telford’s cast-iron arch bridges were built as part of canals and roads that he engineered. In 1826, Telford completed work on a suspension bridge over the Menai Straits in Wales. The bridge spanned 579 feet (176 meters), the longest of any bridge until 1834. It is still in use today. In addition, Telford devised improved methods for road construction. The Telford method–the use of large, flat stones for road foundations–is named after him. Telford was born on Aug. 9, 1757, in Eskdale, Scotland. He died on Sept. 2, 1834.
