Falkland Islands

Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge

An abandoned suspension bridge on the Falkland Islands is crumbling into the water.

When this structure was first constructed, it was touted as the world’s southernmost suspension bridge. Now abandoned and unsafe to cross, it’s at risk of falling into the very creek it was built to cross.

The Bodie Creek Suspension Bridge is just south of the Goose Green settlement on East Falkland. It was constructed in 1925 to make it easier for sheep farmers to shepherd their flocks to the village’s newly built shearing sheds.

As there are no ironworks or engineering factories on the Falkland Islands, the bridge was ordered from David Rowell & Co of London at a cost of £2,281. The kit was then shipped from London to the Falkland Islands on the SS Ballena.

Due to the Falkland Islands being so remote and having limited resources, it was mainly up to the local sheep farmers, plus a stonemason and engineer, to put the bridge together. During construction, the workforce only had access to two machines to help them: a cement mixer and a stone breaker. Everything else was done by hand.

Construction started in 1924 and was completed in 1925. Once it opened, the locals would drive their carts and later, their Land Rovers, across the overpass. And of course, the local sheep farmers who helped build the bridge would also use it to move their animals.

But sadly, the bridge’s infrastructure weakened over time. It closed in 1997 due to safety concerns. The dirt roads once connected to either end of the structure are now long gone. The support beams have started to fall into the underlying water, making it look like an out-of-place bridge to nowhere.

Know Before You Go

You can view the bridge at any time. The nearest village, Goose Green, is a roughly 10-minute drive away. The route is signposted, so it's also suitable as a two-hour roundtrip walk.