World's Most Terrifying Bridges (PHOTOS)
Published:
Mar 1 2016 11:45 AM EST
weather.com
Bridges provide safe passage for people and vehicles over bodies of water, valleys and roads, but even the safest and most solid-seeming bridge can seem a little scary. The structures on this list—some of the world’s most terrifying bridges—are bridges that few would probably cross without suffering a panic attack. In other words: you couldn't pay us to cross them.
(MORE: World's Weirdest Bridges)
1. The Vine Bridges of Iya Valley, Japan
Located in the remote West Iya Valley, one of Japan’s three “hidden” valleys, are a series of vine bridges. While no one is sure who first created the vine bridges, they have existed in the valley for hundreds of years, with some historians dating them back to the 1100s, according to Atlas Obsura. At one point, it is believed that the the valley was home to as many as 13 vine bridges, and at the time the bridges were created simply from Wisteria vines woven together and thin wooden planks with 8- to 12-inch gaps between them.
Today, three vine bridges remain, thanks to the work of local artisans to keep them alive, and though they retain their original aesthetic, the bridges have been reinforced with steel cables beneath the vines, and have been rebuilt every three years with wooden planks spaced every seven inches. The largest remaining vine bridges is the Iya Kazurabashi Bridge. Still, crossing the bridge is not for the faint of heart - there is still a 45-foot drop to the river and each footstep is accompanied by a swaying sensation as you cross the bridge.
2. Glass Skywalk, Tianmenshan National Forest Park, China
Spanning two cliffs and stretching1,410 feet over a 984-foot vertical drop, the glass skywalk at China's Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie National Park is the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge. Competed on December 3, 2015 in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province of China, was designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, who is also behind Expo 2010 Shanghai's Israel Pavilion, according to CNN.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is known for its spectacular rock formations, including the 3,544-ft "Southern Sky Column," which inspired the fictional world of "Pandora" in James Cameron's blockbuster film "Avatar."
3. Eshima Ohashi Bridge, Japan
Bridge or "roller coaster?" The Eshima Ohashi Bridge, a concrete road bridge, spans a mile across Lake Nakaumi in Japan, linking the cities of Matsue and Sakaiminato. But what gives it a thrill-ride factor is the fact that it rises so ships can pass underneath, according to the Daily Mail. It has a gradient of 6.1 per cent on the Shimane Prefecture side and 5.1 per cent on the Tottori Prefecture side. But looks can also be deceiving. When seen from a distance at its side, from start to finish, the bridge actually reveals a gradual incline, not the sharp 45-degree angle it appears on photos, according to the New York Daily News.
4. Suspension Glass Bridge, Shiniuzhui National Geological Park, China
Visitors can now feel as if they're floating right above the valley with a walk across the glass susspension bridge on the Shiniuzhui National Geological Park in Pingjiang County in southern China's Hunan Province. This new bridge just opened on Thursday, September 24, 2015; it stretches 984 feet long and is suspended 590 feet above the valley floor.
5. Longjiang Suspension Bridge, Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, China
The suspension bridge over Longjiang River in Baoshan City in China's Yunnan Province is still under construction (it's scheduled to open in June 2016) but it already looks terrifying. When completed, the bridge will hover a heart-stopping 920 feet over the river valley below and will be the longest (it will measure 8,100 feet long) suspension bridge built between two mountains in Asia, according to People's Daily Online. The new bridge will connect the cities of Baoshan and Tengchong and its central span (the distance between the two main towers) will measure 3,924 feet—only slightly shorter than that of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, according to The Daily Mail.
6. Titlis Cliff Walk, Engelberg, Switzerland
Scared of heights? You may not enjoy a stroll across the Titlis Cliff Walk, which is suspended 1,500ft above a glacier in the Swiss Alps. This terrifying, vertigo-inducing pedestrian walkway on Mount Titlis, which opened in 2012 during a huge snowstorm, is Europe's highest suspension bridge at 9,000ft above sea level, according to The Daily Mail. Although according to its official website, you'll need "nerves as strong as the steel cables from which it hangs" to cross the bridge, officials assure visitors of the bridge's safety. "It is 100 percent safe and impossible to fall from the bridge," Peter Reinle, the media representative for the Titlis Engelberg resort told CNN.
7. Aiguille du Midi, Rhône-Alpes, France
Perched atop a 12,602-ft.-high peak in the French Alps along the Mont Blanc massif, Aiguille du Midi offers one of the most breathtaking views anywhere in the world. From the French resort town of Chamonix, visitors can take a cable car all the way to the peak, where terraces provide a 360 view of all the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. But one structure at Aiguille du Midi stands out: the short footbridge that spans across two of its spires. Although it's a short bridge, its sky-high view of crevasses is not for the faint of heart.
8. The Confederation Bridge, Canada
The Confederation Bridge, considered one of Canada's top engineering achievements of the 20th century, may not have the high-altitude thrills, but its fright factor comes from the fact that it's 8 miles long and stretches over ice-cold water. In fact, this bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water, according to its official website. The curved bridge, which links the Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, took four years of construction and 5,000 workers to complete. It opened to traffic in 1997 at a cost of one billion dollars.
9. The Trift Bridge, Near Gadmen, Switzerland
The Trift Bridge is the longest pedestrian-only suspension bridge in the Alps. It spans the lake Triftsee, near Gadmen, Switzerland and receives 20,000 visitors per year to see the Trift Glacier. This spectacular bridge was originally modeled after Nepalese three-rope bridges, according to MySwitzerland.com, and was replaced in 2009 by a safer and more accessible bridge. A gondola train, which was originally built as a freight gondola, takes passengers up to the bridge, which offers unforgettable views of the lake and the glacier.
10. The Capilano Suspension Bridge, North Vancouver, Canada
Stretching through the canopy of evergreen trees, high above the ground, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is located near Vancouver in the Canadian region of British Columbia. Originally built in 1889 by a Scottish civil engineer, the bridge was made from hemp ropes and cedar planks. Today the bridge has been updated and the surrounding area includes a full park, complete with seven suspension bridges in the Treetops Adventure, and a Cliffwalk that hangs 300 feet above the ground and stretches 700 feet across. The Capilano Bridge is 460 feet long and hangs 230 feet above the river, providing exquisite views of the surrounding forest.
11. Langkawi Sky Bridge, Mount Mat Cincang, Malaysia
Langkawi Sky Bridge is a 410ft curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge in Malaysia at the top of the 500-million-year-old Mount Mat Cincang. The bridge - only six feet wide - was opened to tourists in 2005 and provides 360 degree views of the Langkawi islands and the Andaman Sea.
12. Puente de Ojuela, Ojuela, Mexico
The suspension bridge, Puente de Ojuela, is the only surviving and functional structure in Ojuela, which became a ghost town after the ore resources in the town were exhausted at the beginning of the 20th century. The original bridge was designed by the famous Roebling brothers, who also designed the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge, which is 984 feet long, was restored as a tourist attraction in 1991.
13. The Sidu River Bridge, Hubei, China
The Sidu River Bridge is 4,009 feet long and crosses the mountains of the Sichuan Basin spanning the deep valley of the Sidu River. It hangs 1,640 feet above the bottom of the gorge. The suspension bridge has superseded the Royal Gorge Bridge and the Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge as the highest bridge in the world.
14. The Carrick-a-Rede Bridge, Near Ballintoy, Northern Ireland
The Carrick-a-Rede bridge is a famous rope bridge near Ballintoy in Northern Ireland that has become mostly a tourist attraction. The bridge links the island of Carrickarede to the mainland and is 98 feet high. No one has fallen off the bridge, but some visitors, too scared to make a return trip across the bridge, have had to be taken off the island by boat.
15. The U Bein Bridge, Amarapura, Myanmar
The U Bein Bridge, which spans 3,937 feet across the Taugthaman Lake in Amarapura, Myanmar, is the longest teak bridge in the world. It was built by the city's mayor, U Bein, who salvaged the unwanted teak columns from the old palace during the move to Mandalay.
16. The Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey
The Bosphorus Bridge is one of two bridges that spans the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey, connecting Europe and Asia. When it was built in 1973 it was the fourth longest suspension span in the world. Now, the bridge is the 21st longest suspension bridge at 5,118 feet long.
17. The Millau Viaduct Bridge, Near Millau, France
The Millau Viaduct Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that spans 1,125 feet across the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France. The bridge is apart of a highway that connects Paris to Montpellier. In 2006 International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering Outstanding Structure Award.
18. The Royal Gorge Bridge, Near Canon City, Colorado
The Royal Gorge Bridge spans the Arkansas River near Canon City, Colorado. The bridge deck is 955 feet above the river below and held the record for highest bridge in the world from 1929 to 2001. In 2003, a wingsuiter was killed attempting to fly over the bridge.
This article was originally published on May 7, 2015 and updated on March 1, 2016.
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