Bridges
Remember how as kids, you would place planks on these little platforms where you and your friends would try to get across. And when the little planks started getting a little wobbly, you and your friends would either make a ash for the other side while the others take the decision of not crossing the bridge at all, those were the good days.
However, these bridges you're about to see, stand as tall as towers reaching for the skies, cover seas and unite nations from different parts of the world and were probably took up decades of work for their constructions. The work of not a few but thousands of men and women are the reason why you can now get from place to another right at the comfort of your car seat and the wheel
Check out these photos showing some of the biggest and longest bridges from all around the world.
Jiaxing Shaoxing Sea- Crossing Bridge
The Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge or the Jiashao Bridge is the world's longest and widest multi-pylon cable-stayed bridge and stretches up to 10,138 from on end to another. The bring extends and covers the Hangzhou Bay in Shaoxing, China. The bridge is supported by six 745 feet (227 metres) pylons and can accommodate up to 8 lanes of traffic. The bridge has an overall length of 2,680 metres.
The bridge was built to provide transports, a much more direct route from Shanghai to Shaoxing.
Yangpu Bridge in south China's Hainan Province , Shanghai , China
The Yangpu Bridge in Shanghai, China is listed among one of the longest bridges in the world. The bridge covers an overall length of up to 8354 meters. The bridge has the longest span of 602 meters which makes it one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world. The bridge extends from the Yangpu district in Puxi to the Pudong New Area. While the bridge was actually unpainted, it was later painted with red paint to mark the new millennium.
The bridge is a double-tower and double cable-stayed bridge and spans across the river for about 1172 meters in length, a width of 30.35 meters and can carry up to 6 lanes of traffic. It's two pylons reach up to 223 meters in height. Also beneath the bridge, it has the highest ship clearance of 48 meters. There are two main abutments support high or upside down Y-shaped towers(pylons ) from which the cables are strung.
China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, in Maldives.
The Sinamale Bridge which was originally called The China Maldives Friendship Bridge. The bridge connects the islands of Male and Hulhule and the Maldives. The overall length of the bridge reaches up to 2.1 kilometers. The bridge has two lanes that can accommodate cars and separate lanes for bicycles, , motorcycles and even lanes for pedestrians.
It is also considered to be the first inter-island bridge in the Maldives.
Pamban Bridge, Rameshwaram ,Tamil Nadu, India
The Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge that links the town of Rameshwaram on Pamban Island to India's mainland. The bridge is considered to be one of India's first sea bridge and also famously held a reputation for being the longest sea bridge in India.
The railway bridge is at 12.5 meters (41 ft) above sea level and has an overall length of 2065 m (6776 ft). The bridge consists of 143 piers and has a double leaf bascule section including a Scherzer rolling type lift span that can be lifted to let approaching ships to get through. Each half of the moveable bridge weighs around 415 tonnes 9457 tons). Both the leaves of the bridge are manually opened using levers.
This 2345 km long bridge took almost 14 years to be completed.
Signature Bridge, Delhi, India
The Signature Bridge is a kind of cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge which covers the Yamuna river at the Wazirabad section, connecting Wazirabd to East Delhi. As of 2018, it is officially India's first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge. The pylon of the Signature bridge is one of the tallest structures in Delhi and is almost twice the height of another famous monument, the Qutb Minar.
The bridge has a total length of 675 meters and a width of 35.2 meters. The pylons make up to 165meters in length. The bridge reduces the distance for traveling between north and northeast Delhi.
25 de Abril Bridge
The 25 de Abril Bridge or 25th of April Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects the city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, to the municipality of Almada on the left bank of the Tagus river. The bridge was previously called the Salazar Bridge.
The bridge spans a total length of 2.277 metres (7470 ft). It is the 32nd largest suspension bridge int he world. The upper deck includes 6 lanes that can accommodate car traffic, while the lower deck carries a double track railway electrified at 25 kV AC.
Dhola-Sadiya bridge, Assam , India
The Dhola-Sadiya Bridge also knows as the Bhupen Hazarika Set is a beam bridge in India, which connects the northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge covers the area of the Lohit River, from the village of Dhola (Tinsukia District) in the south to Sadiya to the North. The bridge also serves as the first permanent road connection between Northern Assam and Eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
The bridge spans an overall length of 9.15 kilometers in length and is now regarded as the longest bridge in India.
Forth Bridge in Scotland, Northern Britain
The Forth Bridge or the Forth Rail is a cantilever bridge that spreads across the Firth of Scotland, 14 kilometers (9 miles) west of Edinburgh City Centre. The bridge is considered to be a symbol of Scotland and was also voted as Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in the year 2016. The bridge is also considered to be the longest three tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world.
The bridge has a total length of 2467 meters (8094 ft). The bridge primarily connects the cities of Edinburgh and Fife and further leads to Dundee and Aberdeen. The bridge lies parallel to the newly constructed Forth Bridge.
Elisabeth Bridge in Budapest, Hungary.
Elisabeth Bridge is the third latest bridge of Budapest, Hungaryliking the regions of Buda and Pest across the River Danube. The bridge is located at the narrowest part of the Danube in the Budapest area and covers only a small portion of 290 meters.
The bridge itself has a total length of 380 meters with a width of 27 meters. The famous bridge actually has two versions , the original bridge was destroyed during World War 2. Eventually, a second reconstruction of the bridge took place during the period of 1961-1964 but in a much more simpler version.
Tower Bridge in London, Britain.
The tower bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge located in London and was built during the year of 1896 and 1894. The bridge's construction runs across the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London.
The bridge is around 240 meters in length (800 ft) with two towers each having a length of 65 meters (213 ft) built on piers. The central portion of the bridge sans around 61 meters (200 ft). Between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves which can be lifted to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river transports to pass through. The 2 side-spans are suspension bridges, each 82 meters long (270 ft) with suspension rods anchored both at the abutments.
Beipanjiang Bridge, Liupanshui, China
The Beipanjiang Bridge or the Duge bridge is a cable-stayed bridge near Liupanshui in China. It is considered to be the highest bridge in the world with the road deck covering over 565 meters (1850 ft) right above the Beipan River. The bridge spans across the river that lies on the border between Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.
The bridge spans 1.34 km 90.83 miles) between Xuanwei city in Yunnan province and Shuicheng County in the Guizhou province. The eastern tower measure around 269 meters (883 ft) making it one of the tallest bridges in the world. The bridge shortens the distance between the two places that are about 4 hours apart from other by reducing it to just about an hour's drive according to the state broadcaster CCTV
Howrah Bridge, Kolkata ,India
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that stretches far and wide across the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. For a brief period in the past, it was also called Rabindra Setu after the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. The bridge is the sixth longest bridge of its kind in the world.
The bridge has an estimated length of 705 m(2310ft) and a width of 21.6 m (71 ft) comprising of 2 footpaths on either side of 4.6 m(15 ft) each. The bridge reaches to a height of 82 m (269 ft), while the bridge spans across the river by 457.2 m (1500 ft)).
Brooklyn Bridge in New York, the United States,
The Brooklyn Bridge had several names over the past few years, names included -The New York and Brooklyn Bridge and the East River Bridge. The bridge is a hybrid-cable stayed/suspension bridge in New York City and connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn that runs across the East River.
While the bridge spans across the river at 486.3 m (1595 ft), the overall length of the bridge reaches up to 1825 m (5989 ft) with a width of 25.9 m((85 ft). It has a total height of 25.9 m (85 ft). Ever since its introduction, the Brooklyn Bridge has become an icon of New York City also ranking among the city's most popular tourist attractions.
Golden Bridge in Ba Na Hills in Da Nang, Vietnam.
the Golden Bridge is located in Ba Na Hills resort near Da Nang Vietnam. The bridge is a 150 meter (4900 ft) long pedestrian bridge designed to connect the cable card station with the gardens and provides both a scenic outlook and is also a popular tourist attraction.
The bridge is constructed in a loop like fashion which makes the bridge circulate and connect back to itself. Below the bridge are two giants stone hands designed to look like as if the weight of the bridge is being supported by the hands.
Queensferry Crossing ,Scotland
The Queensferry Crossing previously known as the Forth Replacement Crossing is a road bridge located in Scotland. The bridge was built parallel to the existing Forth Road Bridge and carries the M90 motorway across the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh at South Queensferry and Fie at North Queensferry.
The Queensferry Crossing is a three-tower cable-stayed bridge with a total length of 2.7 km (1.7 miles/ 8858 ft). The towers reach up to 207 meters (679 ft) in height officially making it the tallest bridge in the United Kingdom.