Bridges on the Inca Road were built of a very wide variety of methods, including pontoon rafts, wood beams or stone slabs. Some bridges were made by suspending a basket on a cable over the river; others were merely a series of stepping stones. The most spectacular examples of bridges were made of rope from ichu grass, some of which spanned lengths of up to 20 meters long.
Communities near the bridges were in charge of construction and maintenance of bridges, with joint projects often including villages from both sides of the river.
Sources and Further Information
Inca Empire Study Guide
The Inca Road System
Hyslop, John. 1984. The Inka Road System. Academic Press: New York.
McEwan, Gordon F. 2006 The Incas: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Thompson, Donald E. and John V. Murra 1966 The Inca Bridges in the Huanuco Region. American Antiquity 31(5):632-639.
