Pontoon bridge Pontoon bridge A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, uses floats or shallow-draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maximum load they can carry. Most pontoon bridges are temporary, used in wartime and civil emergencies. Permanent floating bridges are useful for sheltered water-crossings where it is not considered economically feasible to suspend a bridge from anchored piers. Such bridges can require a section that is elevated, or can be raised or removed, to allow waterborne traffic to pass. Pontoon bridges have been in
Luzzu while at sea. On 30 October 1948, a luzzu that was being used as a Gozo ferry capsized and sunk off Ħondoq ir-Rummien, Gozo. 23 people were killed. The town of Marsaxlokk is especially famous for the large numbers of luzzu and similar craft operating in its harbour. The luzzu is often considered as a symbol of Malta. Some luzzi have been converted to passenger carriers for tourists although the vast majority continue to be used as fishing vessels. A "kajjik" is similar in appearance and function to the luzzu, but has a square transom instead of a double-ended hull.