Part two
In the second part, we continue to review the most interesting and unusual bridges on the planet.
Millau Bridge, Tarn Valley
This bridge, almost 2.5 km long, called "Viaduct Millau", is located in the south of France, near the city of Millau. It is located above the Tarn River valley at an altitude of 270 meters above the ground. This is an absolute record for transport roads. In addition, this bridge holds the record for the highest cable-stayed bridge (the height of the largest support is 343 meters, which is 20 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower). The bridge project was prepared and implemented as a result of cooperation between Michel Virlojot and the famous Norman Foster, whose works have been presented on our website more than once.
Fehmarn Belt Bridge, Baltic Sea
When the construction of the Fehmarn Bridge is completed (the approximate completion date is 2018), its length will be approximately 19 kilometers. The bridge is needed to connect the islands of Fehmarn (Germany) and Lolland (Denmark). The cost of the project is already more than $ 2 billion. Although the project also has opponents. The Greens fear that the construction of the bridge could damage the unique wildlife in the area.
Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Gateshead
The Millennium Bridge in the British city of Gateshead is one of a kind. Its hydraulic filling allows the bridge to be tilted so that small vessels can sail underneath. For this innovation, the Gateshead Bridge won the prestigious Stirling Prize in 2002. Its durability is worth mentioning separately. With 19,000 tonnes of concrete, and a foundation at a depth of 30 meters, the bridge is able to withstand a collision with a 4,000 tonne ship sailing at 4 knots.
Bridge over the Bering Strait
The idea of connecting Eurasia with North America arose quite a long time ago - in 1890, William Gilpin, the governor of Colorado, first expressed the idea of a rail ferry connection between these continents. Since then, many ambitious projects have been proposed, including a tunnel under the Bering Strait and such a bridge. Construction and maintenance of the bridge, due to the difficult climatic conditions, is difficult, but perhaps someday there will be a bridge connecting Cape Dezhnev in Chukotka with Cape Prince of Wales in Kamchatka. They are separated by a little more than 80 kilometers.
Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam
Due to the unusual shape of the only support, the bridge in Rotterdam received the nickname "Swan". It connects the southern and northern parts of the city, separated from each other by the New Meuse River. The length of the bridge was just over 800 meters, and the costs did not exceed $ 110 million. Due to its unusual appearance, the bridge attracted the attention of the cinema, and in 2005 in the film "Who am I?" with Jackie Chan, Red Bull Air Race planes flew … under him. By the way, soon after the opening in 1996 and the start of traffic on the bridge, it became obvious that the bridge was swinging in the wind, and it was urgently necessary to modify its support.
Kintaikyo, Iwakuni
Perhaps this beautiful bridge on the Nishiki River is the most unlucky in the world. The construction of five wooden arches across the river was completed in 1673, and since then typhoons, floods, and other disasters have destroyed it, but each time the bridge was restored anew, in its original form. So, for example, it happened in 1950, 2001, 2004, but to this day the bridge stands as if nothing had happened.
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
Ponte Vecchio is perhaps one of the favorite attractions in all of Italy for tourists from all over the world. Perhaps it can be called the oldest fully stone arch bridge in Europe. The original bridge was built of wood until it was destroyed by a flood in 1333, and just 12 years later a new, stone bridge appeared in its place. It is also famous for its shopping arcades - traders of all stripes were housed on the bridge - from medieval butchers and men at arms to modern souvenir merchants and art studios.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Probably the Golden Gate suspension bridge, or, in Russian, the Golden Gate, located above the strait of the same name, the most famous bridge in the world. It connects San Francisco with southern Marin County. For a long time, the Golden Gate was the largest suspension bridge in the world (from its opening in 1937 to 1964). The length of the bridge is 1970 meters, and the height of the roadway above the water is 67 meters. But among other things, the Golden Gate is also famous for the fact that suicide is committed from it more often than from any other facility in America. According to unofficial data, more than 1,300 people jumped from the bridge in 70 years. Only 26 survived. The debate about how to protect the bridge from suicides continues to this day, but there is still no solution.
On this we will end our excursion into the world of bridges, although we probably did not see even a fraction of all the beautiful structures. A great reason to watch them live:)
P. S. I want to apologize for the slight confusion in the last review. Of course, it was not the Tower Bridge itself that was a prison, a museum, a royal residence, and so on, but the Tower Bridge, which is located very close and was built long before it. Now let's continue looking at the bridges.