The maximum number of bridges allowed on an island in New Horizons is 8. This limit applies to bridges as a structure category, regardless of which visual bridge designs the player chooses.
Bridges connect sections of land across rivers, making them useful both for navigation and for the island's overall layout. Players can choose from several designs, including log, stone, brick, suspension, and other styles, but changing the design does not increase the island's bridge capacity. A bridge must also fit the river's width and shape requirements before construction can begin.
The bridge limit is often confused with the limit for inclines, which are stairways built against cliffs. New Horizons allows up to 8 bridges and up to 8 inclines separately; the two totals are not combined into one shared limit. Players can also use terraforming to alter rivers and create paths that reduce the need for additional bridges once the eight-bridge cap has been reached.