Which is the strongest type of bridge structure for spanning long distances?

Bridge types, ranked roughly by typical span: (1) BEAM BRIDGES — simplest, like a board across a stream; load creates bending; relatively short spans (typically <100m); examples: many highway overpasses; (2) ARCH BRIDGES — convert load to compression along the curve, transferring to abutments; spans up to ~500m; examples: Stone Bridge ancient Rome, Sydney Harbour Bridge (steel arch), Pont du Gard (Roman aqueduct); (3) TRUSS BRIDGES — triangulated framework distributes load; spans up to ~600m; examples: many railroad bridges, Pratt and Warren designs; (4) CANTILEVER BRIDGES — beams extending from supports without a beam at the far end; spans up to ~600m; (5) CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES — cables fan directly from towers to the deck; spans up to ~1100m+; cables in tension, towers in compression; examples: Russky Bridge Russia (1104m main span); (6) SUSPENSION BRIDGES — main cables hang from towers, holding hanger cables that suspend the deck; spans up to ~2000m+; examples: Akashi Kaikyō Bridge Japan (1991m), Golden Gate Bridge (1280m). Suspension and cable-stayed bridges use steel cables in tension — steel is extremely strong in tension, very efficient material use. Cables can support enormous loads when only in tension (compared to in compression where they would buckle). The towers and abutments are in compression. The deck experiences bending and shear. Each structure type matches force flows to material strengths. Other factors in bridge design: wind loading (Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed in 1940 due to aeroelastic flutter); earthquake (modern bridges designed for seismic loads in earthquake zones); traffic loading (live loads from vehicles); thermal expansion (expansion joints); maintenance access. ASVAB MC tests basic structural understanding and bridge type identification.