A distinctive absorbent article has a front waistband portion, a back waistband portion and an intermediate portion which interconnects the front and back waistband portions. The article comprises a backsheet layer, and an absorbent retention portion superposed on the backsheet layer. A liquid permeable topsheet layer is superposed on the retention portion and connected to sandwich the retention portion between the topsheet and backsheet layers. A laterally extending bridge flap is configured to extend over a body-facing surface of at least one waistband portion of the article. The bridge flap has an elasticized, laterally extending, substantially fixed edge region attached to the at least one waistband portion of the article; an elasticized, laterally extending movable edge region positioned longitudinally inboard of the substantially fixed edge region; and longitudinally extending, substantially fixed side edge regions at laterally opposed side ends thereof. The bridge flap includes a selected width dimension which extends laterally between the bridge flap side edge region and a selected length dimension which extends longitudinally between the fixed and movable edge regions of the bridge flap. The bridge flap movable edge has a substantial extensibility, and has a selected elastic tension. The bridge flap movable edge is desirably arranged to bridge a substantial distance.