Bridges consist of various designs that are made to serve a certain purpose and apply to various situations. With the right designs, these land connectors can also connect people and cultures.
In the earlier days, bridges were simply broken or fallen trees, and stepping stones. However, with the advent of technologies, construction work has become much more creative and architects are savvier with designing.
In today's world, bridges do not need to be practical and stereotyped; they can also be creative, artistic, and unusual. Read on to learn about the four most unusual bridges around the world that are architecturally striking and will keep you scratching your head for a while.
Eshima Ohashi: Matsue and Sakaiminato, Japan
First on the list is the Eshima Ohashi Bridge, which is quite hard to tell if it is real or an illusion. But, trust us, it is an actual bridge. In fact, it is the steepest bridge that the world has ever seen.
The structure is a rigid-frame bridge that connects Matsue of Shimane Prefecture with Sakaiminato of Tottori Prefecture over the Nakaumi Lake. People who have witnessed the bridge feel that it is more like a rollercoaster than a bridge that connects two cities.
Looking at its photos that went viral on the web, it looks almost straight up, but the bridge is only 6.1% inclined. Eshima Ohashi spans 1700 meters and reaches a maximum height of 144 feet so that ships can pass underneath, without having to hold the traffic.
Laguna GarzÏŒn Bridge: GarzÏŒn, Uruguay
We all have seen pictures of the Laguna GarzÏŒn Bridge, and the only question that can come to our mind is why what was the need to make it circular.
Architect Raphael Viñoly put forward the idea of this circular bridge to devise a way to slow down the traffic. At the same time, the ring-shaped bridge also compels the passers to look around and appreciate the environment around them.
The bridge is located on the southern coast of Uruguay and connects the cities of Rocha and Maldonado. Before the construction of Laguna GarzÏŒn Bridge, vehicles wishing to cross between two cities would have to individually load onto rafts and then cross water.
The concrete structure is raised above the water on cylindrical piles and provides crossing for up to 1000 vehicles each day. It also includes two pedestrian walkways on each side that allows people to take in the area's remarkable panorama.
Yongle Bridge Tianjin Eye: China
Maybe that is why they have incorporated a working Ferris wheel over the bridge. Also called the Tientsin Eye, the structure is a 394-foot tall carnival ride that sits above the Yongle Bridge.
The six lanes Yongle Bridge is built over the Hai River in Tianjin, China. The Ferris wheel itself embodies 48 fully functional passenger capsules with a capacity of eight people on each.
When you reach the highest point, 394 feet, which is equivalent to the height of a 35-floor building, you can witness the breathtaking outlook of Tianjin within 40 kilometers. It takes 30-40 minutes for the Ferris wheel to complete one single rotation.
Gateshead Millennium Bridge: United Kingdom
The award-winning Gateshead Millenium Bridge stretches over the River Tyne and connects Gateshead with New Castle. Inaugurated by the then Queen in 2002, this bridge is also the world's first tilting bridge.
The bridge is also known as the "Blinking Eye Bridge" due to its tilting nature, from one side to another and its shape. Gateshead Millennium Bridge allows pedestrians and cyclists to pass when on one side. On the other side, when it is tilted, it allows boats and ships to pass underneath it.
To let boats pass underneath, the bridge has a system that controls six hydraulic rims. These rims can pivot the bridge's walkway at a 40-degree angle. It takes about four and a half minutes to open and close the bridge.
The Bottom Line
Bridges usually aren't tourist destinations, but these unusual and stunning designs are without a doubt worth visiting. Lastly, with so many bizarre and unusual bridge designs, it now seems like the architectures and designers are in some sort of race to make the strangest bridge.
