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"QUANTUM SHOT" #568
Link - article by Avi Abrams

      Also Read:
        Part 1,
        Part 2

      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.
       
      There is only one problem: the amount of jaws dropped into the gorges by
      awestruck tourists and the sense of professional envy these bridges
      inspire in architects around the world, itching to land a similarly grand
      project:

      
      
      
      
      Building West Hubei and Shanghai Chengdu Expressway Bridge - some 1365
        meters in length, towering 650 meters over the bottom of the gorge
        (images via)

      You need to build a bridge over THAT? (this is what passes for a "mountain
      valley" in China) -

      

      Well, this will require piers at least 150m tall -

      
      (image via)

      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:

      
      (images via)

      Built for Tarzan:

      
      (image via)

      Almost complete...

      
      (images
        via)

      A drive from Shanghai to Chengdu promises to be spectacular.... some
      mountain tunnels in China are even decorated with special lighting
      effects:

      
      (images via)

      This is Guizhou Beipanjiang Bridge, built for the Shanghai-Kunming
      highway: 1564 meters long, stretching about 370 meters above the waters -
      the second tallest bridge in the world.

      
      
      (images
        source, via)

      An old design (not used) was not too shabby, either... strongly suggesting
      the Great Millau Bridge (see
      here) -

      

      More interesting Chinese bridges

      Beipanjiang river railroad bridge in Guizhou:

      
      (image
        source, via)

      This one almost copies the overall shape (without the underlying
      mechanics) of Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which we covered in
      Part 1
      - this is Sanhao Bridge over Hunhe River in Shenyang, Liaoning Province:

      
      (images via)

      Night time illumination on the Dashengguan bridge (right: bridge in
      Nanning) -

      
      (images via)

      Fuling Yangtze River Bridge:

      

      Big Red Dragon needs Big Red Bridges, it seems: Taiping Lake Bridge in
      Anhui Province -

      
      (image via)

      "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)

      
      Photo by Tom Cote,
        National Geographic

      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 - more
      info

      

      The mighty Humber Bridge in Hull, England, comes to mind next:

      
      (images via 1,
        2)

      Even though it's only fifth-largest suspension single-span bridge in the
      world, it's also quite graceful and inspiring in its arching curve. Before
      the bridge was built, local folks had to use hovercraft service - it was
      unreliable, plagued with mechanical problems, but an adventure in itself
      (in a sooty- dieselpunkish way) Treat your eyes on these classic shots of
      the Humber Bridge's "vanishing point" -

      
      (images credit:
        Nick Holowka
        and BBC)

      The
      Confederation Bridge
      
      linking Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, Canada, is extremely long
      and looks like a leasurely white snake floating in deep blue waters when
      seen from above:

      
      (image via)

      Their
      site has
      impressive pictures of waterspout occurring in vicinity... Impressive
      efforts of mother nature and human engineering combined:

      
      (images credit:
        ConfederationBridge.com)

      Another snake... This one is Chinese: Donghai Bridge, from Luchao Harbour
      City near Shanghai to a small island (more
      info) -

      
      (image via)

      Russian futurism.... a bridge in Siberia... dreamy....

      
      (art by Tekhnika Molodezhi, 1974) 

      Also, we just have to mention the proposed Alaskan Bridge, really a
      "Bridge to Nowhere", a bizarre project which got some money for the state
      under Sara Palin, but was mercifully put to rest thereafter... "I have a
      bridge to sell you up in Alaska"... no, thanks! The story about it can be
      watched
      here.

      Mystery and Beauty of Historic Bridges

      A magical evening on a bridge in Bruges, Belgium:

      
      
      Photos by
        Avi Abrams

      The
      Forth Bridge
      in Scotland, which spans the Firth of Forth, should not be confused with
      the Forth Road bridge that's nearby. This rail bridge is best enjoyed at
      sunset:

      
      (image credit:
        George Gastin)

      Teufels Brucke at the Andermatt station in Switzerland:

      
      (images credit:
        dwb)

      Dangerous Bridge Crossings

      You know how they say "build bridges instead of walls and you will have a
      friend"? If you build bridges like these, though, you may end up with
      enemies instead.
      
Crossing some of these rickety structures requires guts, skills and a prayer; and some others can provide the excitement (which is a good thing) - Animals don't seem to mind, or maybe they just can't express it... Ack!! Bridges in Pakistan... or actually absence of them CONTINUE TO PART TWO! -> ALSO READ ABOUT MILLAU VIADUCT! -> Don't miss Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Also Read: Astounding Japanese Bridges, Highways and Intersections
Category: Architecture



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YOUR COMMENTS::

16 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

I love the photos, but don't get the Sara Palin/Obama Reference. Yes she was for/against the bridge, but the project was stopped long before Obama was President. She wanted and got the money for her state, did not want the bridge, he was in Chicago... It's liek the he didn't vote for the war thing. No but neither did I. He and I (and most americans) were not in the senate at the time.

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Anonymous suvabrata said...

Excellent Pictures Posted here.
Thanks for showing these

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Anonymous Berbagi iLmu said...

"Wow...!"
"Awesome...!"

___  
Anonymous Joël said...

One famous bridge is missing in your List: The "pont d'Avigion" in Avigion, France. It's just half a bridge and there is a famous song about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_Saint-B%C3%A9nezet

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Blogger Unknown said...

Not Portland, Dunaújváros, Hungary

http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentele-híd

___  
Anonymous Swamp Fox said...

To support what Frank B said, your reference to the Bridge to Nowhere is not just inaccurate, but flat out wrong. At one point Sarah Palin did support the bridge, but then came out against its construction. See http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/10/opinion/main4435937.shtml:
"While it may be unfair to say that Sarah Palin always treated the Bridge as Milton Friedman might have, she quickly grasped the project’s folly and ultimately put it out of the nation’s misery. In a country where politicians endlessly make demands until weary taxpayers capitulate, Palin scrapped the bridge soon after she was empowered to do so. "

More significantly, Obama did not end the bridge's construction; to the contrary, both Obama and Biden specifically voted to keep funding in place for the bridge instead of transferring those funds to replace a bridge destroyed by Hurrican Katrina.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

"really a "Bridge to Nowhere", a bizarre project endorsed by Sara Palin and mercifully put to rest by President Obama."


Your facts are incorrect on this one. Palin opposed it and Obama had nothing to do with killing the project.

___  
Blogger Szoboti said...

Laszlo is correct!

If you look at the picture in here and the picture behind the link, you even see the different cabeling and colour

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Blogger Avi Abrams said...

Both Alaskan and Hungarian bridge entries are adjusted now, thank you.

___  
Blogger Szoboti said...

Thank You! :)

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Anonymous games said...

Awsome pictures, I would like to visit all this bridges and takes lots of pictures :-)

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Anonymous Telkom said...

Absolutely amazing and interesting as hell. When's DRB coming out with a book deal, btw? =)

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not reel good at video games,but i did enjoy the ones you posted a month or so back. Can you please bring them back. Thankyou.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm surprised the Kylesku bridge in Scotland has not been featured. A couple of pics here ...

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/53877

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/596653

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't care what anybody else thinks... Sarah Palin is hot!

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

The picture under the label
"An old design (not used) was not too shabby, either... strongly suggesting the Great Millau Bridge (see here)"
-I would rather strongly suggest the impressive Rio–Antirrio Bridge in greece as the design seems to be mostly a 1:1 copy of it.

___  

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