Ford (crossing)
Rawney Ford on the Bothrigg Burn, a tributary of the White Lyne in Cumbria, England | |
| Carries | Traffic |
|---|---|
| Span range | Short |
| Material | Usually none (natural, preexisting), but sometimes supplemented with concrete or asphalt for vehicles. |
| Movable | No |
| Design effort | None or low |
| Falsework required | No |
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A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading, on horseback, or inside a vehicle getting its wheels wet. A ford may occur naturally or be constructed. Fords may be impassable during high water. A low-water crossing is a low bridge that allows crossing over a river or stream when water is low but may be treated as a ford when the river is high and water covers the crossing.
The word ford is both a noun (describing the water crossing itself) and a verb (describing the act of crossing a ford).