10 Breathtaking Bridges Around the World

1 – Magdeburg Water Bridge

The Germans took over a century to build this water bridge. The 918-metre Magdeburg Water Bridge, is a navigable aqueduct water bridge in Germany, completed in October 2003. It bridges the River Elbe to connect two important German shipping canals; the Elbe-Havel Canal and the Midland Canal.

Plans for joining the two canals had been conceived as far back as 1919, and construction on such a project began during the 1930s,but first World War II and then the post-war division of Germany put the project on hold until after German reunification was achieved in the 1990s

The bridge site is open to visitors and includes a parking lot, bicycle and pedestrian paths and informational signs detailing the history and construction of the bridge. The bridge itself is located outside of Hohenwarthe near the city of Magdeburg and is known locally as the Wasserstrassenkreuz Magdeburg.

2 – Seoul’s Banpo Bridge Turns into Gigantic Fountain

The Banpo Bridge which crosses over the Han River in the Seoul capital of Korea has been given new life with the addition of a very interesting fountain, that was specially designed to attract more tourists.

The fountains at the Banpo Bridge were installed on September ninth and have since become a major tourist attraction.The bridge has turned into a major tourist attraction. It has nearly 10 thousand nozzles ( more exactly 9, 380 ) on either side of the bridge that shoots out 190 tons of water every minute. According to the Seoul mayor, Oh Se-Hoon, the fountain bridge would help acknowledge Seoul as an eco-friendly destination amassing more tourists.

3 – Aiola Island Bridge

A cool bar located on a river. Aiola Island, located right in the center of the Mur River in Graz, Austria, was built in 2003, and immediately developed itself as a popular attraction. The ‘island’ was created by the New York artist Vito Acconci. It has a sunbathing area, a trendy bar and a coffee house, plus it allows you to cross the Mur River from one shore to another.

4 – Gateshead Millennium Bridge

The award winning $44 million Gateshead Millennium Bridge is the first and only tilting bridge in the world. Hydraulic rams at each end of the bridge allow it to tilt so small ships may pass through, and it is this innovative technology which won its designers the prestigious Stirling Prize for architecture in 2002. Thanks to the 19,000 tonnes of concrete poured into 98ft deep foundations and enough steel to build 64 double decker buses, the bridge can withstand a collision with a 4,000 tonne ship moving at 4 knots.(Link)

5 – The Falkirk Wheel

The Millennium Link was an ambitious £84.5m project with the objective of restoring navigability across Scotland on the historic Forth & Clyde Canal and Union Canal, providing a corridor of regenerative activity through central Scotland. A major challenge faced, was to link the Forth and Clyde Canal, which lay 35m (115ft) below the level of the Union Canal. Historically, the two canals had been joined at Falkirk by a flight of 11 locks that stepped down across a distance of 1.5km, but these has been dismantled in 1933, breaking the link. What was required was a method of connecting these two canals by way of a boat lift. British Waterways were keen to present a visionary solution taking full advantage of the opportunity to create a truly spectacular and fitting structure that would suitably commemorate the Millennium and act as an iconic symbol for years to come. The resultant, perfectly balanced structure that is The Falkirk Wheel, the world’s first and only rotating boat lift.(link)

6 – Henderson Waves Bridge

At a height of 36 metres or 12 storeys from the road, it’s the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. The 300-metre bridge links up the parks at Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill.

The bridge has a unique wave-form made up of seven undulating curved steel “ribs” that alternately rise over and under its deck. The curved “ribs” form alcoves that function as shelters with seats within and also to accommodate large number of people during public events.

During the day, one can enjoy the habour views while standing on the 12-storey high bridge.At night, the wave-forms will be lit with attractive LED light from 7pm to 2am daily, giving the bridge an illuminative glow, offering beautiful night scenic view of the city.

7 – Tianjin Eye Bridge

The Tianjin Eye,is a gigantic ferris wheel constructed on Yongle Bridge over the Haihe River.

The 110 meter diameter ferris wheel will lift people 120 meters up into the air, as high as one 35-storey building, and promise a grand view of around 40 square kilometers over the surrounding city.

There are 48 capsules on the ferris wheel, each of them carrying up to 8 people at a time, giving a capacity of 768 passengers per hour. It takes half an hour for this slow-rotating observation wheel to complete a full circle.

8 – The Malaysia Sky Bridge

It’s not a bridge to the sky, but it’s not far from the idea!The Langkawi sky-bridge in Malaysia is suspended at 700 metres above sea level and spans 125 across the mountains, offering magnificent views of the Andaman Sea and Thailand’s Tarutao Island. It’s set apart from other bridges by its curves that provide different perspectives of the landscapes. Here’s one of the most spectacular bridges in the world that delivers quite a pump of adrenaline.

9 – Ponte Vecchio

These bridge is oldest and most famous of its kind. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence is one of the most famous tourist spots. These bridge 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 first originally built of only wood and then it was destroyed by floods in 1333 and twelve years later it was rebuilt using stone. These was famous for its lining of shops, the bridge has housed everybody from Medieval merchants and butchers to souvenir stalls and art dealers.

10 – Bridge to Nowhere

A bridge on the Atlantic Road in Norway. The fact that the Atlantic Road of Norway was voted as the Norwegian Construction of the Century in 2005 pretty much says it all about this wonderful integration of modern technology with nature’s magnificence. The road is akin to man’s stroke of brush on nature’s canvas and the view and the ride it offers is both unique and enthralling. The wonderful ride moves along a scenic five-mile stretch along highway Rv64 between Molde and Kristiansund. Best time for a ride: when a storm mild hits the ocean! Ironically, that is when the ocean under the road is at its dramatic best.