Pontoon bridge unprecedented 730-meter, fortified pontoon bridge across the Scheldt river at the Siege of Antwerp in 1584 to close off water access to the city. In the battle of Saraighat in 1671, the Ahoms spanned the river Brahmaputra at Saraighat over an improviso bridge of boats. In the 1670s, the French devised the copper pontoon; after this point, rivers and canals ceased to present significant obstacles. The early modern period in pontoon use was dominated by the wars of the 18th and 19th centuries during which the art and science of pontoon bridging barely changed. This however did not stop all
Pontoon Beach, Illinois Mississippi River from Pontoon Beach. Pontoon Beach, Illinois Pontoon Beach is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,836 at the 2010 census. Pontoon Beach is located at (38.726078, -90.060505). According to the 2010 census, Pontoon Beach has a total area of , of which (or 79.75%) is land and (or 20.25%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,620 people, 2,134 households, and 1,519 families residing in the village. The population density was 686.9 people per square mile (265.3/km²). There were 2,341 housing units at an average density of 286.1 per square