Awe-Inspiring Construction of Mountain Highway Bridges in China
China is home to some of the most spectacular mountains, and some of the deepest gorges that need to be spanned with ridiculously tall bridges - and all these infrastructure projects are supposed to be good for Chinese economy.
Well, this will require piers at least 150m tall -
A concept rendering of a bridge that has been actually completed in September 2008 as part of Jinji Expressway:
Construction goes on with the help of rockets and guided "missiles" (with a cable attached to them) -
Vertigo smorgasbord for all tastes:
Built for Tarzan:
Almost complete...
A drive from Shanghai to Chengdu promises to be spectacular.... some mountain tunnels in China are even decorated with special lighting effects:
"If you demolish bridges behind you, then there is no choice but forward" (bad motivational advice)
Transporting bridges can indeed be a beautiful sight (Portlanders were treated to such scenes in 2007, for example, when Port of Portland's old bridge center section was replaced). Pictured here is the Pentele bridge in Dunaújváros, Hungary:
Controlled demolition of bridges can be a fantastic job: this spectacular photo shows the end of the old Jamestown bridge in Rhode Island (also watch video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmdf2ijvYnY
Notable Bridges Around the World
As we continue to cover some of the most impressive (tallest, longest, etc.) bridges, Dubai's "Largest Arch Bridge", planned for 2012 (not sure, if it's still on schedule), surprises with the graceful curves
The mighty Humber Bridge in Hull, England, comes to mind next:
Bridges in Pakistan... or actually absence of them
Two bridges in the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
"Stari Most" (Old Bridge) - Fascinating History
The first bridge on my list is a biased choice, and may not have originally made anyone else's list of favored bridges. However with my mother a missionary in the area of Mostar, Bosnia, I had to pick this bridge for its meaning to me. However the bridge itself has a whole host of its own history.
This is how this bridge was put in place: manufactured a few miles down the river and transported upriver by the "Asian Hercules" (Rotterdam) floating crane:
Once the world's highest and longest rail viaduct bridge (the center towers were about 300 feet tall when standing) was toppled by extremely strong winds - a possible tornado - in 2003... The ruins tell the story:
3. Double Spiral Bridge in Japan
The Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge consists of two spirals, each 1.1 km long, 80-meter in diameter - the only way for traffic to get down the mountainside into the valley, too steep for any other usual road-building solutions.
The busy Route 414 serves the weekend crowd from Tokyo, intent to wind down at the hot springs resort of the Izu Peninsula. The "winding down" bit obviously starts at this bridge. Built in 1981, the double-spiral structure demands careful driving - the speed limit on the bridge is only 30 km/h, which also helps to better enjoy the views.
4. Nanpu Bridge with a spiral approach
Similar spiral skyway graces the approach to the Nanpu Bridge over the Huangpu River, located at the South Dock in Shanghai, China. Drivers are allowed to go only clockwise... no, just kidding.
5. The Longest Bridge-Tunnel Combination: Oresund Bridge
This longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe connects Denmark and Sweden across the Oresund strait. The artificial island itself is 4 km long. Shortly after being built, there were fears that not enough people are going to use it, but as it turned out, Danes were buying less expensive houses in Sweden and commuting to work in Denmark, and the construction costs of close to 30.1 billion are expected to be paid off in 2035.
Also a bridge-tunnel combo, but smaller, is Merrimack/Monitor Memorial Bridge-Tunnel on Hampton-Chesapeake Interstate 664:
7. The Hanging Bridge of Bilbao, Spain
Built in 19th century, in a year of 1893, it introduced truly revolutionary combination of 150-meter long steel bridge and a hanging gondola, moving across the river. Similar structures were built after its example, but only a few remain in existence today in the world. The 43-meter towers present an imposing view over the city:
The "bridge-to-nowhere" illusion, seen in Norway:
Conwy Suspension Bridge in the medieval town of Conwy, North Wales:
Strange bridge in Victoria, Canada: Johnson Street Bridge.
Langkawi Sky Bridge (Malaysia)
Looking from the bridge :
The cable car and observatory are on right side at the back:
Where:
The top of the 500-million-year-old Mount Mat Cincang, Langkawi, Malaysia.
Stats:
2,000 feet above sea level; 410 feet long; curved; less than six feet wide.
Awe Factors:
This curved half-moon-shaped pedestrian bridge, set among the clouds, grants non-acrophobic adventurers 360 degree views of the Langkawi islands and the Andaman Sea. Built for tourists and opened in 2005, the bridge is accessed by a 15-minute ride in an electronic cable car, which leaves from the Oriental Village mall complex.
Sources :http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/amazing-bridges-of-the-world
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/07/worlds-most-interesting-bridges.html
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/01/worlds-most-interesting-bridges-part-2.html
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/05/worlds-most-interesting-bridges-part-3.html
China is home to some of the most spectacular mountains, and some of the deepest gorges that need to be spanned with ridiculously tall bridges - and all these infrastructure projects are supposed to be good for Chinese economy.
Well, this will require piers at least 150m tall -
A concept rendering of a bridge that has been actually completed in September 2008 as part of Jinji Expressway:
Construction goes on with the help of rockets and guided "missiles" (with a cable attached to them) -
Vertigo smorgasbord for all tastes:
Built for Tarzan:
Almost complete...
A drive from Shanghai to Chengdu promises to be spectacular.... some mountain tunnels in China are even decorated with special lighting effects:
"If you demolish bridges behind you, then there is no choice but forward" (bad motivational advice)
Transporting bridges can indeed be a beautiful sight (Portlanders were treated to such scenes in 2007, for example, when Port of Portland's old bridge center section was replaced). Pictured here is the Pentele bridge in Dunaújváros, Hungary:
Controlled demolition of bridges can be a fantastic job: this spectacular photo shows the end of the old Jamestown bridge in Rhode Island (also watch video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmdf2ijvYnY
Notable Bridges Around the World
As we continue to cover some of the most impressive (tallest, longest, etc.) bridges, Dubai's "Largest Arch Bridge", planned for 2012 (not sure, if it's still on schedule), surprises with the graceful curves
The mighty Humber Bridge in Hull, England, comes to mind next:
Bridges in Pakistan... or actually absence of them
Two bridges in the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
"Stari Most" (Old Bridge) - Fascinating History
The first bridge on my list is a biased choice, and may not have originally made anyone else's list of favored bridges. However with my mother a missionary in the area of Mostar, Bosnia, I had to pick this bridge for its meaning to me. However the bridge itself has a whole host of its own history.
This is how this bridge was put in place: manufactured a few miles down the river and transported upriver by the "Asian Hercules" (Rotterdam) floating crane:
Once the world's highest and longest rail viaduct bridge (the center towers were about 300 feet tall when standing) was toppled by extremely strong winds - a possible tornado - in 2003... The ruins tell the story:
3. Double Spiral Bridge in Japan
The Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge consists of two spirals, each 1.1 km long, 80-meter in diameter - the only way for traffic to get down the mountainside into the valley, too steep for any other usual road-building solutions.
The busy Route 414 serves the weekend crowd from Tokyo, intent to wind down at the hot springs resort of the Izu Peninsula. The "winding down" bit obviously starts at this bridge. Built in 1981, the double-spiral structure demands careful driving - the speed limit on the bridge is only 30 km/h, which also helps to better enjoy the views.
4. Nanpu Bridge with a spiral approach
Similar spiral skyway graces the approach to the Nanpu Bridge over the Huangpu River, located at the South Dock in Shanghai, China. Drivers are allowed to go only clockwise... no, just kidding.
5. The Longest Bridge-Tunnel Combination: Oresund Bridge
This longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe connects Denmark and Sweden across the Oresund strait. The artificial island itself is 4 km long. Shortly after being built, there were fears that not enough people are going to use it, but as it turned out, Danes were buying less expensive houses in Sweden and commuting to work in Denmark, and the construction costs of close to 30.1 billion are expected to be paid off in 2035.
Also a bridge-tunnel combo, but smaller, is Merrimack/Monitor Memorial Bridge-Tunnel on Hampton-Chesapeake Interstate 664:
7. The Hanging Bridge of Bilbao, Spain
Built in 19th century, in a year of 1893, it introduced truly revolutionary combination of 150-meter long steel bridge and a hanging gondola, moving across the river. Similar structures were built after its example, but only a few remain in existence today in the world. The 43-meter towers present an imposing view over the city:
The "bridge-to-nowhere" illusion, seen in Norway:
Conwy Suspension Bridge in the medieval town of Conwy, North Wales:
Strange bridge in Victoria, Canada: Johnson Street Bridge.
Langkawi Sky Bridge (Malaysia)
Looking from the bridge :
The cable car and observatory are on right side at the back:
Where:
The top of the 500-million-year-old Mount Mat Cincang, Langkawi, Malaysia.
Stats:
2,000 feet above sea level; 410 feet long; curved; less than six feet wide.
Awe Factors:
This curved half-moon-shaped pedestrian bridge, set among the clouds, grants non-acrophobic adventurers 360 degree views of the Langkawi islands and the Andaman Sea. Built for tourists and opened in 2005, the bridge is accessed by a 15-minute ride in an electronic cable car, which leaves from the Oriental Village mall complex.
Sources :http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/amazing-bridges-of-the-world
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/07/worlds-most-interesting-bridges.html
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/01/worlds-most-interesting-bridges-part-2.html
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/05/worlds-most-interesting-bridges-part-3.html
