Sometimes a bridge is a parameter of development of a country.
Sometime those bridges also can be used as a symbol of art. Here’s some
of the most amazing bridges around the world:
Ponte Vecchio (Italy): Oldest and Most Famous of its kind
The Ponte Vecchio in Florence is one of the most famous tourist spots in
Italy, and is thought to be the oldest wholly-stone built, segmental
arch bridge in Europe, although there are many partial segments which
date further back. It was originally built of wood until destroyed by
floods in 1333, and twelve years later it was rebuilt using stone .
Famous for its lining of shops, the bridge has housed everybody from
Medieval merchants and butchers to souvenir stalls and art dealers.
Magdeburg Water Bridge (Germany): Europe’s Largest Water Bridge
The Magdeburg Water Bridge connects the former East and West Germany
over the Elbe River, and it was made as part of the unification
project. 1 km long, the 500 million euros water bridge enables river
barges to avoid a lengthy and sometimes unreliable passage along the
Elbe.
Oliveira Bridge (Brazil): World’s First X-shaped Cable Stayed Bridge with two crossed lanes
The Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge over the Pinheiros River in São
Paulo, Brazil was opened in May 2008. It is 138 metres (450-ft) tall,
and connects Marginal Pinheiros to Jornalista Roberto Marinho Avenue.
Its design is unique in that the 2 curved decks of the bridge cross
each other through its X-shaped supporting tower.
Rolling Bridge (UK): The Bridge that Curls Up on Itself
Designed by Heatherwick Studio, the award-winning Rolling Bridge is
located Paddington Basin, London. Rather than a conventional opening
bridge mechanism, consisting of a single rigid element that lifts to
let boats pass, the Rolling Bridge gets out of the way by curling up
until its two ends touch. While in its horizontal position, the bridge
is a normal, inconspicuous steel and timber footbridge; fully open, it
forms a circle on one bank of the water that bears little resemblance
to its former self. Twelve metres long, the bridge is made in eight
steel and timber sections, and is made to curl by hydraulic rams set
into the handrail between each section.
Henderson Waves (Singapore): Most Beautiful Pedestrian Bridge
At a height of 36 metres or 12 storeys from the road, it is the highest
pedestrian bridge in Singapore. The 300-metre bridge links up the parks
at Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill.
Millau Bridge (France): World’s Tallest Vehicular Bridge
Towering 1,125-ft above the Tarn Valley in southern France, driving
along the Millau Bridge is said to feel like flying. This Foster +
Partners marvel is slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower, took three
years to build and opened to the public in 2004. While it may provide
picturesque views of the valley below, once the mist descends it is not
a route for the faint hearted! TheMillau Bridge has a total length of
8,071-ft with the longest single span at 1,122-ft and a maximum
clearance below of 886-ft; in short the bridge is massively impressive
both on paper and in real life. The deck is lofted on 7 pylons and
weighs 36,000 tonnes. A series of 7 masts, each 292-ft tall andweighing
700 tonnes, are attached to the corresponding pylons.
Hangzhou Bay Bridge (China): World’s Longest Trans-Oceanic Bridge
Across the Hangzhou Bay extends the longest trans-oceanic bridge in the
world, with 35,673 kilometres (22 mi) long with six expressway lanes
in two directions. The bridge was built to address traffic congestion
in the booming region, cutting the driving time between Shanghai and
Ningbo from four to two-and-a-half hours.finally opened to the public
on May 1, 2008. Total investment on the bridge was RMB 11.8 billion
(around US$ 1.4 billion.)
Banpo Bridge (South Korea): The Fountain Bridge
On September 9, 2008, the Banpo Bridge in Seoul (South Korea) got a
major facelift: a 10,000-nozzle fountain that runs all the way on both
sides. Immediately after being installed, the bridge turned into a
major tourist attraction, as the bridge pumps out 190 tons of water per
minute using the water from the river below.