10 scariest bridges in the world that you definitely don't want to cross
Miscellaneous / / July 31, 2021
The fear of bridges is called gephyrophobia. Let's pump it to the fullest!
1. Hussaini suspension bridge
- Where is: Hunza River, north of Pakistan.
- What is the difference: length - 200 meters, height above water - 30 meters.
- What is it built of: made of ropes, 472 wooden planks, luck and horror.
It is considered 1. Hussaini Bridge / Northerners
2. Hussaini Suspension Bridge / Local Guides Connect
3. Hussaini Suspension Bridge / The Most Dangerous Bridges in the World one of the most dangerous in the world. Take a look at what the construction looks like and feel the cold sweat.
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Perhaps you thought that the builders of this masterpiece of primitive architecture were fanatically saving on wood. But in fact, the bridge is leaky for a reason - it reduces its windage, which helps the building to withstand powerful winds, which are not uncommon in these parts.
The Hussaini Bridge looks more like a staircase, which does not very convincingly pretend to be a bridge.
Due to the wind and high humidity, the ropes quickly begin to rot, which naturally does not add strength to the bridge. Several times the structure was destroyed by the wind and the river, but every time it was restored.
The bridge is popular with tourists who cross it for the thrill. The locals only laugh at this. They somehow have to use this passage every day, and even carry loads on themselves. According to the memoriesHussaini Suspension Bridge / The Most Dangerous Bridges in the World residents, at least ten people died on the Hussaini Bridge.
2. Ubain wooden bridge
- Where is: Amarapura, Mandalay District, Myanmar.
- What is the difference: length - 1208 meters, maximum height above water - 4.5 m.
- What is it built of: from 1086 trunks of rotten teak; in especially tender places it is reinforced with concrete pillars, which, however, do not help him very much.
CrossesU Bein Bridge at risk: locals / Myanmar Times Lake Taungtaman near the city of Amarapura in Myanmar. This is the longest and oldest wooden bridge in the world - it was built in 1851.
In the Guinness Book of Records, by the way, the Haurai Bridge in Japan is indicated as the longest wooden bridge. In fact, it is only 897.4 meters long, which, as you can see, is shorter than Ubain's. Why the latter was so cheated is a mystery, but perhaps the reasons are political.
Logs were used for construction, from which the royal palace was built in the former capital, Ave, destroyed by an earthquake on March 23, 1839.
In general, it is correct to name the Wu Bane Bridge in honor of the head of the city of Amarapura, who paid for the creation of this wooden giant. Bane is the boss's name, and U is a polite expression in Burmese like "master."
The bridge is gradually falling into decay and may one day collapse, but nevertheless locals and tourists regularly walk on it.
3. Rope Bridge Carrick-a-Red
- Where is: Ballintoy, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
- What is the difference: length - 20 meters, height above water - 30 meters.
- What is it built of: now made of high-strength ropes and Douglas fir planks. Previously - from rotten boards and ropes.
Near the coast of Ireland there is 1. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge / Irish Tourism
2. Brave or bonkers? Old images of Carrick ‑ a ‑ Rede rope bridge that’ll make you shudder… / BelfastLive small islet of Carrick. Fishermen caught there is salmon. And to make it easier to get to this place, in the middle of the 17th century they were honored to build a bridge.
You may have heard of Theseus' paradox: is an object the same as before if all its constituent parts have been replaced over time? The Irish did not have such questions, because the Carrick-a-Red Bridge did not have to be repaired, but rebuilt from scratch every year. Due to the sea wind and moisture, the ropes regularly rotted, and for about three hundred years, fishermen hung new ones every year.
If you're not intimidated by the look of Carrick-a-Red, just keep in mind that until the 1970s it had only one rope rail and gaps between planks like the Hussaini Bridge.
Finally, in 2000, the Irish got tired of it, and they decided to build a damned bridge once and for centuries. It didn't work out - it still rotted. Rebuilt again in 2004. Then, in 2008, Carrick-a-Red was redesigned using more durable materials. So it still stands.
Fishermen have long ceased to fish on Carrick Island, because the salmon logically decided that it was too hard to reach even for him, and migrated to the estuaries of the Bunn and Bush rivers. But the bridge is visited by thousands of tourists a year for the thrill. The structure sways in the wind and from any movement. Many extreme sportsmen who dared to cross the bridge have to be taken away from Carrick Island by boat, because they do not dare to return as they came.
4. Ohuela Suspension Bridge
- Where is: Mapimi, Durango, Mexico.
- What is the difference: length - 275 meters, height above the gorge - 95 meters.
- What is it built of: from innovative (for the 19th century) steel cables, wood and concrete.
Once near the town of Mapimi in Mexico there was 1. Ojuela, atracción mágica / El Siglo de Torreón
2. Ojuela Bridge / The Most Dangerous Bridges in the World a village with the name Ojuela, pleasant to the Russian ear. Nearby there is still a mine called Mina la Ohuela. And to her through a deep canyon leads a bridge called the Puente de Ojuela.
The settlement was named after the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Ohuela, who discovered rich deposits in these places. gold, silver, zinc and manganese. In 1598, a Spaniard founded a colony, and generations of miners worked there for over 350 years. The Puente de Ojuela itself was built in 1898 by the sons of the architect John Roebling, who built the Brooklyn Bridge. The mined minerals were transported through the canyon in trolleys.
Now the ore mines are not exploited, and the mining town has been abandoned. But the bridge has been restored and serves as a tourist attraction. It offers an impressive view of the valley, but because of the open structure and small railings, people with fear of heights are strongly discouraged from walking along it.
5. Suspension bridge in Ghasa
- Where is: the city of Ghasa-Kushme, Annapurna, Nepal.
- What is the difference: length - 137 meters, height above the gorge - 70 meters.
- What is it built of: made of durable metal mesh, cables and wood.
Take a look at this bridge 1. Hanging Bridge Of Ghasa, Nepal / Orange Smile
2. 20 Most Dangerous Bridges in the World / Overseas Attractions
3. Ghasa's Hanging Bridge / Alluring World. Scary, is not it? And Nepalese shepherds walk on it at least twice a day: to the pasture and back. Moreover, they manage to drive cattle with them. To force animals to walk, they are often blindfolded.
Donkeys, goats and even cows walk the bridge every day. And nothing, used to.
The design features make the bridge extremely narrow and flexible, and therefore it constantly sways in the gusts of wind.
However, having a wire mesh on the sides should keep you from slipping. In theory.
6. Sky Bridge on Langkawi Island
- Where is: Langkawi Island, Kedah State, Malaysia.
- What is the difference: length - 125 meters, height above the ground - 100 meters. The bridge is suspended by steel cables on a single support.
- What is it built of: made of steel, concrete and glass panels.
Langkawi Bridge was built 1. B. Barr, Thomas Telford. Fourth International Conference on Current and Future Trends in Bridge Design, Construction and Maintenance
2. Langkawi Sky Bridge / Langkawi Insight
3. SkyBridge / Panorama Langkawiso that tourists from all over the world can enjoy a magnificent view of the island called the pearl of Kedah.
This structure is the visiting card of the island, as well as the longest single-support bridge in the world.
To build the Sky Bridge, its sections had to be lifted up the mountain by helicopter. The building was completed in 12 months and opened in February 2005. The bridge was rebuilt several times. First, a viewing platform was attached to it. Then they added a lifting cabin so that they did not have to walk up the mountain. And then they provided them with glass inserts so that tourists could see the jungle below.
The weather on the island is very humid and there are often dense fogs. If you are bored of walking across the bridge on a sunny day, visit Langkawi on a cloudy day, when you can hardly see your own outstretched hand in the haze. Thrills guaranteed.
7. Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge
- Where is: Zhangjiajie, Wulingyuan District, China.
- What is the difference: length - 430 meters, height above the ground - 300 meters.
- What is it built of: of 120 panels of tempered glass, steel cables on four concrete pillars and endless horror of visitors.
It is easy to guess from the name that the bridge is transparent 1. World's longest glass bridge opens in China's Hebei province / SCMP
2. World's tallest and longest glass bridge opens in China / De Zeen. People who are afraid of heights are better off not looking at their feet. Seriously, you've been warned.
In China, they generally like glass bridges - there are more than 2,300 of them in the country. But Zhangjiajie is special. This is the tallest glass bridge in the world! The architects stated that the building is capable of withstanding 800 pedestrians at the same time (if, of course, they behave consciously and do not jump and walk).
If just walking on glass is boring, you can jump from the world's tallest bungee (285 meters) or have fun on a swing suspended under a bridge.
Sometimes there are strong winds in the area that make Zhangjiajie wobble. However, he is ominous creaksas if someone is driving their nails on the glass. Have a nice walk.
8. Writhing Dragon Walking Path
- Where is: Zhangjiajie, Tianmen Mountain, China.
- What is the difference: length - 100 meters, height above the valley - 430 meters. The valley itself is still 300 meters deep.
- What is it built of: made of 99 sinuous sections of tempered glass that could have been tougher.
In addition to the aforementioned bridge, there is more to see in Zhangjiajie Park. For example, the Writhing Dragon Walking Path that surrounds Tianmen Mountain. What is the track? Yes, nothing special, just the glass from which it is made is in the habit 1. China's cliff-clinging glass skywalk opens / CNN Travel
2. Incredible 100-meter-long Coiling Dragon Cliff skywalk opens to public in China crack under the feet of passers-by.
"The Writhing Dragon" became famous for a viral video of a frightened Chinese tourist, under which glass cracked.
The park administration claims that this is a special effect: to add acuity of sensations, engineers specially mount safe, but creaking and cracking panels on the track. Nice excuse, yes.
9. Huangchuan Three Gorges Glass Bridge
- Where is: Lianzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
- What is the difference: length - 526 meters, height above the river - 201 meters.
- What is it built of: made of steel and slippery glass.
Until 2020, Zhangjiajie bore the title of not only the tallest, but also the longest glass bridge in the world. However, the last title was taken away by the new building over the Three Gorges River Huangchuan, which has already entered the Guinness Book of Records. This bridge is more than half a kilometer long 1. Glass Bridge: A “Transparent Corridor” in the Air
2. Glass Bridge in Huangchuan Three Gorges Scenic Area / Arqa
3. Longest glass ‑ bottomed bridge / Guinness World Records, and the thickness of the glass from which it is made is 4.5 centimeters.
The glass is so clear that it looks transparent, allowing 99.15% of visible light to pass through.
The bridge has not yet been officially opened for tourists, but we can expect that it will give at least curious sensations. The structure is specially made to swing and be flexible to withstand local winds.
By the way, sometimes glass bridgesChina: Man left dangling from bridge after glass breaks / BBC News China has to withstand winds of up to 150 km / h, which may well tear off a piece or two from the structure. For example, on the bridge on Mount Piyan, the wind knocked down several panels in May 2021, forcing one tourist to sit, clinging to the supports, and wait for help. But he survived, don't worry.
10. Suspended road in Kakum National Park
- Where is: Kakum National Park, Ghana, West Africa.
- What is the difference: length - 330 meters, height above the ground - 40 meters. The road is attached to nearby trees.
- What is it built of: from wood and ropes.
In general, such cableways are not uncommon in many countries of the world, but in Africa there is only one of them per continent. She is situatedCanopu Walkway / Kakum National Park in Kakum National Park. The path is suspended on ropes, and tree trunks serve as its supports. It consists of seven bridges.
From the walking path you can observe the beautiful rainforest, elephants, buffaloes and leopards in their natural habitat. The main thing is not to fall for them, because this is exactly the acquaintance that should be avoided.
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