Moveable bridges are the ones that can move, to allow the boats, etc. pass, like this one:
For such purposes, the traffic on the road needs to be stopped, so that the bridge moves and allows the water traffic to pass.
Once when I was cycling, trying to cross the bridge, I noticed they had blocked the entrance to the bridge by putting signs and bands. I asked one of the technicians over there if the bridge is going to be opened, (meaning to see if they will fold(!?)/move the bridge away), to which he replied: "It will, but after midnight. You better take the other road".
This conversation was quite confusing, since each of us meant something totally different by the two words "open" and "close"; and "move" is somehow more general because it can refer to the both status changes, rather than specifying the current/next state; especially if you're having a conversation about this later to someone who wasn't there to see the situation.
Is there a clear alternative to use for this situation (when the bridge moves away), other than open, close, or move?
Update: I've already seen the Wikipedia article on moveable bridges, including the various bridge types and the names, and the verb move that's been used generally all over the article, but I would like a clear, preferably single-word verb to explain this independent of being on the roadway or the waterway, and avoiding using a phrase or a whole sentence to explain this.
Best Answer
The answer is in the definition of drawbridge:
Moveable bridge and drawbridge are synonymous but drawbridge is also a specific type of movable bridge. It is the most common type.
Also, you might use different verbs for some of the specific types of movable bridge. The picture you provided is a swing bridge and you might use turn or rotate.
"Open" and "close" depends on the point of view. You would say "open for cars" or "open for boats" to be clear about what you mean. This is also mentioned in the definition of drawbridge.
Note: There isn't a single verb that you can use for all movable bridges and that would clarify the situation, at least not in common usage. There is an adjective trafficable which defines something that can be traveled upon but it wouldn't be used in everyday speech.
I can see the usage of connect/disconnect and lock/unlock in technical usages but these terms are more related to the mechanisms of movable bridge than accessibility.