5 Haunted Bridges Around The World

Oct 24

In the past, we’ve covered several haunted bridges including the Bloody Bridge in St. Mary’s Ohio, and the Dog Suicide Bridge in Dumbarton, Scotland but with so many bridges around the world, it’s not surprising that many others are considered haunted.

Here are 5 other haunted bridges from around the world:

1. Haunted Bridge - Sector 16 Chandigarh, India

Along the Madhya Marg Road leading to the General Hospital in Sector 16 of Chandigarh, there is a small bridge said to be haunted by several spirits who experienced tragic deaths.

Many have claimed to see the spirit of a young woman wandering the bridge late at night. The woman is said to be in white clothing reminiscent of a doctor’s coat while she carries a small lamp. The lamp is sometimes said to be a headlamp and other stories say it’s a lantern.

The spirit is said to belong to a young doctor who was on her way to the hospital when she was hit by a speeding truck. The supposed accident occurred at least 20 years ago but no sources I could find give an exact date. Another variation to this legend says the spirit belongs to a young woman who committed suicide at the bridge.

2. Helen’s Bridge - Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Originally known as the Zealandia Bridge, this small overpass was built in 1909 as a carriageway for the Zealandia estate. Today the bridge is more commonly known as Helen’s bridge, named after the spirit that is said to appear to passing motorists.

According to legends, Helen was employed as one of the caretakers at the Zealandia Mansion. With no one to watch her young daughter, she would often bring her to the mansion where she would read for hours upon hours in the library.

One morning while Helen was outside caring for the plants, she began to smell smoke and rushed into the mansion. The other caretakers prevented her from running into the raging fire as it dawn on her that the library had been engulfed. Helen lost her daughter that day and the devastation she felt, was one she could not bare. Helen walked to the bridge and hanged herself.

Motorists driving under the overpass have claimed to see glimpses of Helen’s body hanging from the bridge. Others have seen a woman calling out to her daughter before she disappears into the night.

While there are no reports of a fire having destroyed a library or taken a life at the Zealandia mansion, another version of the legend says Helen’s daughter died in a nearby fire and not in the mansion. I also could not verify any reports of a woman named Helen hanging herself on the bridge.

3. Old Finch Avenue Bridge - Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

On October 1954 Canada was hit by Hurricane Haze, the deadliest hurricane in its history with a death toll of 81. The flooding and sheer force of the storm also destroyed multiple bridges and the Canadian Military Engineers worked quickly to build small truss bridges known as Bailey Bridges.

In three days the Finch Avenue bridge was constructed and quickly became a staple of the Scarborough community becoming a historic landmark. But over the decades it gained a new reputation, one where the spirit of murdered girl cries out in pain.

According to legends, a young teen who was celebrating her birthday with her friends was separated from them on their way home. The girl found herself walking along the bridge illuminated only by the moonlight. Her friends heard her screams and headed toward the bridge but they couldn’t see her.

The following morning her mangled body was found at the bridge and her killer was never found. Many say if you go to the bridge around 3 am and sing Happy Birthday, you’ll hear her pained screams from the moment she was murdered. Others say if you walk along the bridge and stop halfway, you’ll hear very clear footsteps walking behind you.

One other legend says the ghosts of those who have died in the area protect any cars that stop along the nearby railroad tracks. The ghosts there are said to be from a bus accident in the 1970s, it’s a legend that sounds oddly familiar to the ghosts surrounding the San Antonio, Texas Railroad Tracks.

4. Mang Gui Kiu - Tai Po District, Hong Kong, China

Originally named Hung Shui Kiu (Bridge of Flooding) Mang Gui Kiu bridge is said to be home to several ghosts stemming from multiple deaths and tragedies. As the word for red in Chinese sounds similar to flood, many believed the bridge was named Hung Shui Kiu as a reference to the many executions in a nearby village.

The blood of those executed flowed downriver and is said to have caused the water to turn red for several days. It was said, for years after, villagers would hear what sounded like soldiers marching in the area.

But on August 28th, 1955 a tragedy would birth a new legend of ghosts. On that day a group of teachers and students from the St. James’ Settlement of Hong Kong were having the final picnic of their week-long trip at the Tsung Tsai Yuen hiking trail. Suddenly it began to rain and as the rain picked up, the students and teachers took cover under the Mang Gui Kiu bridge.

What was thought to be light passing rain became heavy and created a sudden landside that washed over the students and teachers. In the end, 28, mostly children, were dead leaving only a few of the group alive.

A monument was erected nearby to honor the dead but soon motorists claimed to see children waving at them as they drove along the bridge. Many of the children were described as having ashen faces and dead eyes. One widely reported legend says a bus driver stopped by the bridge to pick up a passenger but she didn’t pay.

When he turned to face her and demand payment, she was gone. At the end of his route, he opened the door and before he got off, he heard a ghostly voice say “thank you”.

5. Sant’Angelo Bridge - Rome, Italy

Constructed in 134 AD Sant’Angelo’s bridge once known as the Bridge of Saint Peter, stands today crossing the Tiber River. Despite its long history, the bridge is widely known for hosting the execution of Beatrice Cenci in the 16th century and for being the place where her spirit returns every year.

Beatrice Cenci was the daughter of a 16th-century wealthy and abusive Francesco Cenci. Francesco was widely known to physically and sexually abused his wife, daughters, sons, and others but his connections and wealth made it impossible to keep him in jail.

In 1598 Beatrice wrote letters begging her older brother to help her and her stepmother Lucrezia from Francesco’s grasps. She also attempted to write letters to the authorities as well listing her father’s crimes but he discovered them and beat her severely for it. Francesco locked Beatrice and Lucrezia away in the family’s castle in La Petrella Salto.

But, here is where Beatrice, who felt she had no other choice, planned the murder of her father, Francesco Cenci. Along with the help of her older brother, her stepmother, and two other lords, one of which was the secret lover of Beatrice, the group killed Francesco and staged the scene as an accident.

Investigators quickly realized there was more to the story and the group was tortured for information. Beatrice’s 12-year-old brother Bernardo was also tortured and eventually told the investigators Beatrice was the mastermind.

On September 11th, 1599, the group was taken to Sant’Angelo Bridge and executed at the behest of Pope Clement VIII. Bernardo was forced to watch as Lucrezia and Beatrice were decapitated.

Since then, many have claimed to see the ghost of Beatrice appearing at the bridge every September 11th carrying her severed head.