Deck height is different from structural height, which is a measure of the maximum vertical distance from the uppermost part of a bridge, such as the top of a bridge tower to the lowermost exposed part of the bridge, where its piers emerge from the surface of the ground or water.
The difference between tall and high bridges can be explained in part because some of the highest bridges span the deepest part of their valley or gorge supported from above, with their ground supports built on relatively high terrain only; some of the tallest bridges have support structures on the lowest part of the valley floor.
The bridge's two towers, built on the rims of the gorge, are 269 m (883 ft) tall, but due to the depth of the river gorge between the towers, the deck height of the Duge Bridge is 565 m (1,854 ft).
The tallest Millau Viaduct tower is situated near the valley floor, which gives the viaduct a structural height of 343 m (1,125 ft), and a deck height of 270 m (890 ft) above the valley floor.
The list below shows the historical progression of the highest bridge in the world.