Aqueduct Bridge � Netherlands

The Ringvaart (known in full as Ringvaart of the Haarlemmermeer Polder) is a canal in the province of North Holland, the Netherlands. The Ringvaart (Dutch meaning �ring canal�) is a true circular canal surrounding the Haarlemmermeer polder and forms the boundary of the Haarlemmermeer municipality. Ringvaart is also the name of the dike bordering the canal.

Near Roelofarendsveen, the Ringvaart crosses the A4 Highway by means of an aqueduct. It was built in 1961, making it the oldest aqueduct in the Netherlands. In 2006, construction was completed of two new portions: on the east side for crossing new north-bound lanes for the expanded highway; and on the west side for the new HSL-Zuid high-speed railway. The new aqueduct is 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long. Link

The Ringvaart is used for commercial and recreational boat traffic. A portion of it forms part of the sailroute from Hollands Diep to the IJsselmeer, passable for ships with masts over 6 meters (20 ft) tall. 07 more images after the break...

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Wood Bridge In Netherland

Commissioned by the Province of Friesland, Oak (Onix and Achterbosch Architecture) has developed a road bridge that connects 2 districts of Sneek on either side of the A7 motorway. The bridge was designed for a municipality that wished to establish a new city marker along the motorway. Framework The Department of Public Works, the user of the bridge, stated that it wished to use more wood in its constructions.

We regarded it as important to elaborate the wooden bridge in such a way that it would be both recognizable and new to Sneek. The contours call to mind the traditional cheese-cover farmhouses of Friesland; the construction evokes reminiscences of the building expertise that it still abundantly present in the old city; the wooden beams reflect the shipbuilding industry, with Sneek as the water recreation city par excellence in the North Netherlands. All these aspects led to the first uncovered wooden bridge in the heaviest load class. This bridge is not only a novelty for the Netherlands but also for countries such as Canada, Norway and Switzerland where the covered bridge is a well-known feature. The bridge consists of Accoya wood, an acetylated type of wood that has been produced in a factory in Arnhem for around one year now. The acetylation of wood is a process that makes wood almost imperishable. The design of the bridge is a fusion of infrastructure, construction, art and architecture. As a component of the renewed A7 motorway, the wooden bridge was envisaged at two positions. 13 more images after the break...

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�Pont de Signe� Bridge Held by Three Big Helium Balloons

French artist Olivier Grosset�te used three enormous helium balloons to float a rope bridge over a lake in Tatton Park, a historic estate in north-west England. Oliver Grosset�te created Pont de Singe, which means "monkey bridge", for the Tatton Park Biennial, which this year was themed around flight. Located in the park's Japanese garden, the structure comprised a long rope bridge made of cedar wood held aloft by three helium-filled balloons. The ends of the bridge were left to trail in the water. Though visitors weren't allowed to use the bridge, it would theoretically be strong enough to hold the weight of a person, according to Grosset�te. 08 more images after the break...

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Skywalk On Glass Bridge � China

On one side a sheer rock face, on the other a 4,000ft drop - and all to separate the brave traveller from a deadly plunge is a 3ft-wide, 2.5in thick walkway. And if that is not enough to bring terror into the pit of your stomach, the path running alongside a Chinese mountainside is made out of glass, allowing a crystal-clear view of where one false step can take you. So it was perhaps understandable that this woman tackled the walkway by sticking as close to the cliff as possible, feeling her way along with tentative steps. The skywalk is situated 4,700ft above sea level on the side of the Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China.

Photo � Link

The 200ft long bridge joins the west cliff at the Yunmeng Fairy Summit, the summit of Tianmen Mountain and Zhang Jiajie. And it would appear to be too scary for the cleaners - tourists are asked to put on shoe covers before passing to help keep the path clean. The pathway, built earlier in the summer echoes the glass-bottomed walkway at the Grand Canyon in the U.S. The 70ft bridge is 4,000ft above the natural wonder and allows tourists to look through 2.5in of crystal-clear glass to the Canyon floor below. The Tianmen mountain, literally translated as Heavenly Gate Mountain is so called because of a huge natural cave that occurs halfway up to the summit. Situated in the Hunan Province, Its highest peak is around 5,000ft above sea level and it is home to a wealth of rare species of plants. A four-mile-long cable car was constructed in the park, which is said to be the longest of the same type in the world.And no matter how terrifying the glass walkway may be - it can only be an improvement from another sky high mountain walkway located in the same province. The Shifou Mountain, located 82 miles away, offers sightseers a 3ft-wide road made of wooden planks thousands of feet high. When finished the wooden 'road' - which is the width of a dinner table - will stretch for 1.8miles making it China's longest sightseeing path. 16 more images after the break...

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Gateshead Millennium Bridge

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead's Quays arts quarter on the south bank, and the Quayside of Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank. The award-winning structure was conceived and designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre and structural engineers Gifford. The bridge is sometimes referred to as the 'Blinking Eye Bridge' or the 'Winking Eye Bridge' due to its shape and its tilting method. In terms of height, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge is slightly shorter than the neighbouring Tyne Bridge, and stands as the sixteenth tallest structure in the city.

Photo � Link

Design � The bridge was lifted into place in one piece by the Asian Hercules II, one of the world's largest floating cranes, on 20 November 2000. It was opened to the public on 17 September 2001, and was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 May 2002. The bridge, which cost �22m to build, was part funded by the Millennium Commission and European Regional Development Fund. It was built by Volker Stevin.

Six 45 cm (18 in) diameter Hydraulic rams (three on each side, each powered by a 55 kW electric motor) rotate the bridge back on large bearings to allow small ships and boats (up to 25 m (82 ft) tall) to pass underneath. The bridge takes as little as 4.5 minutes to rotate through the full 40� from closed to open, depending on wind speed. Its appearance during this manoeuvre has led to it being nicknamed the "Blinking Eye Bridge". 13 more images after the break...

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Seven Mile Bridge in Florida

The Seven Mile Bridge is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key (part of the city of Marathon, Florida) in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. Among the longest bridges in existence when it was built, it is one of the many bridges on US 1 in the Keys, where the road is called the Overseas Highway.

There are two bridges in this location. The older bridge, originally known as the Knights Key-Pigeon Key-Moser Channel-Pacet Channel Bridge, was constructed from 1909-1912 under the direction of Henry Flagler as part of the Florida East Coast Railway's Key West Extension, also known as the Overseas Railroad.

Photo � Link

History � After the railroad sustained considerable damage due to effects of the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the line was sold to the United States Federal Government, who subsequently refurbished Seven Mile Bridge for automobile use. Dismantled trackage was recycled, painted white, and used as guardrails. It had a swing span that opened to allow passage of boat traffic, near where the bridge crosses Pigeon Key, a small island where a work camp for Flagler's railroad was located. Hurricane Donna in 1960 caused further damage.

The current road bridge was constructed from 1978 to 1982. The vast majority of the original bridge still exists, used as fishing piers and access to Pigeon Key, but the swing span over the Moser Channel of the Intracoastal Waterway has been removed. 10 images after the break...

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Pamban Bridge � India

The Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait connects Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India. It refers to both the road bridge and the cantilever railway bridge, though primarily it means the latter. It was India's first sea bridge. It is the second longest sea bridge in India (after Bandra-Worli Sea Link) at a length of about 2.3 km. The rail bridge is for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers, but has a double leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through. The railway bridge is 6,776 ft (2,065 m) and was opened for traffic in 1914. The railroad bridge is a still-functioning double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under the bridge.

Photo � Link

The railway bridge historically carried metre-gauge trains on it, but Indian Railways upgraded the bridge to carry broad-gauge trains in a project that finished Aug. 12, 2007. Until recently, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers. About 10 ships � cargo carriers, coast guard ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers � pass through the bridge every month. From the elevated two-lane road bridge, adjoining islands and the parallel rail bridge below can be viewed.

After completion of bridge metre-gauge lines were laid by them from Mandapam up to Pamban Station, from here the railway lines bifurcated into two directions one towards Rameshwaram about 6.25 miles (10.06 km) up and another branch line of 15 miles (24 km) terminating at Dhanushkodi. The section was opened to traffic in 1914. 09 more images after the break...

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The Atlantic Ocean and The Caribbean Sea at Eleuthera

Eleuthera is one of several islands that lies within the archipelago in The Bahamas, about 80 km east of the capital city Nassau. It is long � about 180 km � and thin - only about 1.6 km wide in places. The light blue waters of the shallow Caribbean Sea on one side of the island stand out in stark contrast to the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean thousands of feet in depth. One of the best places to see this extraordinary juxtaposition is at the Glass Window Bridge.

The Glass Window Bridge is about two miles east of Upper Bogue and joins Gregory Town and Lower Bogue at the narrowest point on the island. It is one of the few places on earth where you can compare the rich blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean on one side of the road and the calm turquoise-green waters of the Exuma Sound (Caribbean Sea) on the other side, separated by a strip of rock just 30 feet wide.

Over the natural rock bridge, a concrete bridge has been built that connects the northern and southern points of Eleuthera by a paved road. The Glass Window Bridge is one of the most visited places in the island. 05 more images after the break...

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Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge � Japan

Photo � Link

How do you build a bridge on a mountainside when the grade is so steep that a linear ramp isn�t possible? Build a loop, and if one is not enough, build two. This is what engineers did when the built the Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge, also known as the Japanese Double loop spiral, in Kawazu, Japan. This double spiral brings cars up and down a full 45 meters while being seemingly suspended in a valley between two mountainsides. The spirals measure 80m in diameter and the whole ramp section is 1.1km long.

The bridge on Highway 414 between Tokyo and the Izu peninsular was finished in 1982 and has become a well known landmark since. 04 more images after the break...

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Gustave Flaubert Bridge

The Pont Gustave-Flaubert (Gustave Flaubert Bridge) is a vertical lift bridge over the River Seine at Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France. It officially opened on 25 September 2008 after four years of work. 13 more images after the break...

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Bridge to Shikhar � The Shahara Bridge

Yemen. North of Sana'a is a beautiful array of two Sahhar mountain (2306 m) and Mafluk (2215 m), and around - the green land of Wadi Vaara, famous for its mild subtropical climate. It also houses one of the main attractions of the northern part of the country - a village-fortress Shikhar (163 km north of Sanaa), located on top of the mountain height of 2160 meters, and therefore practically impregnable. Over its long history of this place was the headquarters of the resistance forces and the Turks during the XVI-XVII centuries, and the headquarters of the Royalists during the Civil War of 60s. The village is actually made up of two parts, each of which is crowned with its own mountain peak.

Deep gorge separates the village and connects two parts of it only old bridge Sahhar (Shikhar), built in the XVII century, and with the amazing engineering calculations. A simple architecture Shikhar harmony with the stunning landscapes surrounding area - the sun scorched mountains and gleaming green valleys, which are clean and dry air locally visible for miles neighborhood. 15 more images after the break...

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Zhivopisny Bridge � Moskva River

Zhivopisny Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that spans Moskva River in north-western Moscow, Russia. It is the first cable-stayed bridge in Moscow. Opened on 27 December 2007 as a part of Krasnoprenensky avenue. It is also the highest cable-stayed bridge in Europe. 21 more images after the break...

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Circular Pedestrian Bridge in Lujiazui � China

Photo � Link

Sometime last year, a new pedestrian bridge was unveiled in Lujiazui in the Pudong district of Shanghai. This large scale circular pedestrian overpass enables pedestrians to avoid traffic at the round-about terminus of Lujiazui Rd. The bridge provides access to the Oriental Pearl Tower connecting financiers to leisure areas such as shopping malls and cafes, a transit station and office buildings. The bridge sits almost 20 feet above the street, with numerous escalator stairway entrances and exits. The very contemporary design and long spans between columns provides a pleasant street level experience. Visitors enjoy the walkway for its privileged views of the city as well as its introduction of clean and easy foot transportation. At night the structure is illuminated to great dramatic effect. The walkaway is 5.5 meter high and can fit 15 people walking side by side. Since it�s opening, it has become quite a tourist attraction. 06 more images after the break...

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Massive Arch Bridge � Melkweg Bridge

Images by Jeroen Musch and NEXT Architects

The Melkwegbridge is located in Purmerend, the Netherlands. The bridge is part of the masterplan �De Kanaalsprong� and connects the historic city center with the towns� new district. The most striking part of the bridge, designed by NEXT Architects, is a massive arch which reaches the height of 12m above water level and stands in a continuous line with the Melkweg-road, thus offering an incredible view over the city. The high lookout is an attraction in itself and lets pedestrians fully experience the relation between the new and historic center of Purmerend. 12 more images after the break...

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Gelmer Funicular & Handeck Bridge

Gelmer Funicular & Handeck Bridge in Switzerland. The Gelmer Funicular [Gelmerbahn] carries people from Handeck [at 1412m in the valley between Innerkirchen and the Grimselpass in Switzerland] to the Gelmersee lake at 1849m. It is claimed to be the steepest [106 degrees] funicular of its kind in the world. It certainly looked impressively vertical in its upper sections. I think it is operated by the same power company that operates the Trift Bridge system. The Trift Bridge is just over the mountain, in the valley leading up to the Sustenpass valley.

From the top of the funicular you can walk around the lake/reservoir, climb up the a mountain hut at 2412m, or walk back down to Handeck. 17 more images after the break...

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Top 7 Amazing Inhabited Bridges

The inhabited bridge is a structure that in addition to its basic function of bridging physical obstacles, such as a body of water, valley, or road, can also perform residential and commercial functions. These bridges are rare in the world and for that reason are very popular among tourists.

01. Ponte Vecchio - Italy

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The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence. It is believed that a bridge already existed here during the Roman times. Its current appearance dates back to 1345 when it was built to replace a bridge which was destroyed by a flood. Houses were built on the bridge, a common practice in large European cities during the Middle Ages.

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The houses on the bridge were initially used as workshops and a diverse array of shopkeepers such as butchers and tanners did business here. In 1593 duke Ferdinand I decided to replace them with goldsmiths, reportedly because the shops produced too much garbage and caused a foul stench. 18 more images after the break..

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