It never ceases to amaze me how clever engineers can be. Movable bridges are one such example of man overcoming a problem using technology. These innovative bridges allow for pedestrians, cyclist and cars to use the bridge, but can also quickly move out of the way to allow water traffic to pass through.
This sophisticated bridge in Bordeaux France can boast the title of Europe's longest vertical lift bridge, with four traffic lanes and an outboard sidewalk and bicycle lane. The lift structure has four independent pylons towers supporting the span weight, and it can be lifted to a height of 50 meters (164 feet).
Spanning the River Tyne, this bridge is nicknamed the Winking Eye Bridge because of its eye-shaped look when in motion. The bridge has a deck for pedestrians and cyclists, and a supporting arch. It rotates as a single structure, with the arch lowering and the deck rising, counterbalancing each other, forming a pathway for water traffic.
The Vizcaya Bridge in Biscay, Spain connects the two towns of Portugalete and Las Arenas on opposite sides of the Ibaizabal River. The locals refer to the bridge as Puente Colgante, meaning suspension bridge, even though it's technically a transporter bridge. It also happens to be the world's oldest transporter bridge, as it was built just under 125 years ago. Its gondola can transport six cars, as well as passengers and cyclists.
The Corinth Canal was built between 1881 and 1893 and was quite an achievement in its day. The canal saved ships a 700 km (435mile) journey as they no longer needed to go around the Peloponnesian peninsula. However, it's very narrow and can only accommodate one ship at a time. The submersible bridges, built in 1988, can be lowered 8 meters (26ft) below the water, allowing for tall shipping vessels to pass through.
This rotating footbridge in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, is known in Spanish as "The Women's Bridge." This 800-ton pedestrian bridge has two fixed sections and a middle section which rotates 90⁰ in order to allow water traffic to pass.
This footbridge in Hull, Yorkshire, is also known as the Scale Lane Bridge. An exciting feature of this bridge is that it rotates while pedestrians are still on it. The bridge takes two minutes to open or close for water traffic and offers pedestrians a unique experience of the city. At night, the bridge's lights turn on and off while the bridge moves, making for a fascinating light show.
Egypt's El Ferdan Railway Bridge, built over the Suez Canal, connects the Sinai Peninsula with mainland Egypt. This bridge is 335m (1,100 feet) long, making it the world's longest swing bridge. It takes 30 minutes to open or close. It remains open for water traffic and is only closed when the train needs to cross the canal.
Germany's Horn River features a folding bridge, with a three-segment bascule. The innovative bridge folds into an "N" shape. The bridge is nicknamed Klappt-Nix-Brücke, meaning Fold-not Bridge because initially, it experienced many malfunctions.
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