Bridges and humans have had a long history. Many are designed exclusively for people on foot or on bike; others are for use by cars, boats or trains. Some bridges connect continents; others are known more for their histories and the cultural interest they inspire.They span some of the most awe-inspiring places on earth, taking cars, cyclists and pedestrians across once-impassable river gorges and even underneath massive lakes. Some were built in a matter of months, while others took more than a decade to complete. Our look earlier this year at the world's most amazing roads inspired a closer look at the bridges that connect them, many of which were accomplished with feats of architectural imagination that continue to astound decades and centuries later. | |
Today’s bridges not solely symbolize our world’s advancement in design however its advancement in technology as well. Consequently, architects and engineers are able to merge style and technology together in order to make bridges that ar larger, better, and additional spectacular than ever before.
We’ve compiled a list of 12 most amazing bridges from around the word, both young and old. If we’ve missed and of your favourites, please add them in the comments area below.
We’ve compiled a list of 12 most amazing bridges from around the word, both young and old. If we’ve missed and of your favourites, please add them in the comments area below.
12. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Japan
At more than 12,800 feet in length from end to end, Japan's Akashi-Kaiky Bridge is the longest suspension bridge anywhere in the world. Its central span alone is more than a mile long, measuring more than 6,500 feet between its two main towers (their span had to be extended slightly after 1995's Great Hanshin earthquake caused the towers to shift on their foundations). Before the Akashi Bridge was completed in 1998, ferry boats were the primary way people crossed the Akashi Strait, which is often beseiged by severe storms. The bridge's hinged girder system allows it to withstand Category 5 hurricane force winds that sometimes lash its towers and suspension cables, as well as earthquakes that measure as high as 8.5 on the Richter scale. The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge also known as the Pearl Bridge, links the city of Kobe on the mainland of Honshu to Iwaya on Awaji Island, in Japan. This worked out until 1955, when two ferries sank and 168 people were killed. It is one of the key links of the Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Project, which created three routes across the Inland Sea.
11. The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California and U.S.. Built in 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world until 1964, and no, we’re not done with the superlatives yet. It is the most photographed bridge and it has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Frommers travel guide considers the Golden Gate Bridge “possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world”. It opened in 1937 and had until 1964 the longest suspension bridge main span in the world, at 4,200 feet (1,280 m).
10. Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy
The Ponte Vecchio is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy. It is mainly known for its shops of jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. Regardless, the Ponte Vecchio Brige is gorgeous and has a rich history dating back to the time of the Romans. During World War II the bridge was not destroyed by the Nazis — unlike many other bridges in Europe — under an express order from Adolf Hitler.
9. Millau Viaduct, France
Built as a solution to holiday traffic between Paris and Spain, the Millau Viaduct spans the River Tarn valley and is ranked as one of the greatest feats of engineering, ever. Just don’t mention this to the American Society of Civil Engineers. They’re liable to lose their civility. It received an Outstanding Structure Award for its work, which is pretty much the Oscars of bridge building. It keeps the trophy on the mantelpiece overlooking the river
8. Pont du Gard, Remoulins, France
Added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985, the Pont-du-Gard (translated, "bridge of the Gard") has stood over the Gard River near Remoulins in southern France since its construction was finished early in the first century, sometime between 19 B.C. and 40 to 60 A.D. The three-tiered bridge's primary purpose was to carry water from the spring at Uzès to the homes and outdoor fountains of the Roman colony of Nemausus, today known as the French city of Nimes. Most of the 31-mile-long aqueduct actually was built underground, thanks to the hilly terrain between the two cities – the Pont du Gard is one of its few above-ground structures. The Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct bridge spans 275m and rises 49m above the Gard River near Nimes, France. It carries 44 million gallons of water each day. Though it fell into disrepair and became impractical to use thanks to debris that collected in it over the centuries, the bridge was used as a toll foot bridge after the Roman era and today is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.
7. Sidu River Bridge, China
The Sidu River Bridge is the tallest bridge in the world, standing around 1,500 ft tall. There are exactly 1,550 feet from the bottom of the bridge to the valley floor. It is located at the border of Yichang and En’shi in the Hubei province. It is 1365 m across. The construction first began in 1989. The second stage (divided into three stages of development) was finished a decade ahead of schedule. The bridge spans just over 5,000 feet across the river valley and was so far across that the builders had to use a rocket to string the first pilot line across the gap. The hefty length is supported by two massive, H-shaped towers, one at either end of the road. The suspension lines dip in the middle and rise back up again, looking more than a little flimsy for such a massive span.
6. Henderson Waves Bridge, Singapore
Singapore's Henderson Waves Bridge, which resembles the form of waves or an undulating snake, stands nearly 120 feet above the road, making it the highest pedestrian bridge in the country. It was built to connect three parks. (Wikimedia/Kok Leng Yeo) . Form follows function in Singapore's Henderson Waves Bridge, whose curved wooden "ribs" provide shelter from the sun for the thousands of pedestrians who walk across it every week and give the bridge its distinctive, wave-like appearance. The roughly 900-ft.-long bridge – which opened to the public in May 2008 after a four-year, $25.5 million construction – links the Southeast Asian city-state's Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber Park, both of which lie along its Southern Ridge nature trail. At night, lights placed between the wooden ribs illuminate its entire length.
5. The Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado
The bridge is 1,260 feet (384 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, with a wooden walkway with 1292 planks.
Colorado's Royal Gorge Bridge was built in just six months in 1929. It spans more than 1,200 feet across the Arkansas River near Canon City, Colo., within a 360-acre theme park with 21 rides.The bridge is suspended from towers that are 150 feet (46 m) high. It was formerly among the ten highest bridges in the world until 2012, and remains the highest in the United States. Built in 1929 and hanging a thousand feet above the Arkansas River in Colorado, The Royal Gorge Bridge was the world’s highest bridge until 2001, when China’s Liuguanghe Bridge nosed it out of first place.
Colorado's Royal Gorge Bridge was built in just six months in 1929. It spans more than 1,200 feet across the Arkansas River near Canon City, Colo., within a 360-acre theme park with 21 rides.The bridge is suspended from towers that are 150 feet (46 m) high. It was formerly among the ten highest bridges in the world until 2012, and remains the highest in the United States. Built in 1929 and hanging a thousand feet above the Arkansas River in Colorado, The Royal Gorge Bridge was the world’s highest bridge until 2001, when China’s Liuguanghe Bridge nosed it out of first place.
4. Øresund Bridge, Malmö, Sweden
The Oresund Bridge connects Denmark and Sweden. What’s unusual is that it starts out in Sweden as a bridge, and ends up a tunnel in Denmark. A small island had to be built around the tunnel’s entrance to stop water getting in. When it opened in July 2000, the Øresund Bridge that links Denmark and Sweden had to meet several requirements: the bridge had to provide access for both road and rail travel across the Oresund Strait without interfering with airplane traffic at the nearby Copenhagen Airport, while also allowing ship traffic to flow through the strait uninterrupted. Today it's the longest combination road and rail bridge anywhere in Europe, and allows travelers to pass between the two countries usually without passport inspections.
3. Langkawi Sky Bridge, Malaysia
You'll need to take a cable car to the top of Gunung Mat Chinchang on Pulau Langakawi, an island in the Malaysian state of Kedah, to walk along this curved pedestrian bridge, which meanders around the clouds of the mountain peak. Anyone with a fear of heights is probably unlikely to find a cure on the Langkawi Sky Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that hangs precariously among the treetops near the mountain peaks of Pulau Langkawi, an island in the Langkawi archipelago of Malaysia. Perched more than 2,300 feet above sea level, the bridge offers spectacular views (when the skies are clear) of both the Andaman Sea and Tarutao Island, which lies off the coast of nearby Thailand.
2. Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, United States
Since it opened in 1883, after 13 years of construction, the Brooklyn Bridge has become an icon of New York City and is often featured in the backdrop of movies ranging from 1971's The French Connection to 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the U.S.. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, with a main span of 486.3 m, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge. Since its opening, it has become an icon of New York City, and was designated a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
1. Magdeburg Water Bridge, Magdeburg, Germany
Germany's Magdeburg Water Bridge connects the Elbe-Havel Canal with the Mittelland Canal along a navigable aqueduct over the Elbe River. Before the bridge opened in 2003, ships had to make a nearly eight-mile detour for a trip that now takes only minutes. A journey that once required ships tro travel nearly eight miles was reduced to just over the length of a football field when the Magdeburg Water Bridge opened in 2003 over the Elbe River in Germany, making it possible to bypass the delays ships had endured for years at the nearby Rothensee and Niegripp locks. Thanks to its 24,000 tons of steel and more than 74,000 yards of reinforced concrete, even large ships can pass through. The bridge's construction cost more than $640 million, but the return on investment has no doubt been recouped in the time and energy saved here along the longest navigable aqueduct in the world.