UNIQUE BRIDGES Part 1

Rolling Bridge, London, UK
Tomas heatherwick' s award-winning rolling bridge is an ingenious addition to the grand union canal system in london and is unique in its design. Unlike regular movable canal bridges, the rolling bridge curls up on itself to form an octagon by way of hydraulics. It's an amazing sight and a reminder that a fresh perspective can produce great, innovative results, even when dealing with a structure as common as a bridge.


Beipanjiang River Railroad Bridge, Guizhou, China
Beipanjiang River Railroad Bridge in Guizhou is an enormous railway bridge that was built as part of the much larger 'Guizhou-Shuibai Railway Project'. Connecting 2 mountains over a deep ravine, at its highest point the bridge's deck sits 918ft above the ground (to compare, at its highest point the Millau viaduct's deck clears the river underneath by 890ft). The bridge has succeeded in connecting 2 of the country's poorest areas.




Henderson Waves, Southern Ridges, Singapore

'Henderson Waves' is Wingapore's highest pedestrian bridge and can be found at the southern ridges, a beautiful 9km stretch of gardens and parks which has frequently drawn comparisons to New York's Central Park. The bridge itself is absolutely stunning. The deck is made from thousands of Balau wood slats, perfectly cut and arranged, and along the length of the deck a huge snaking, undulating shell cleverly forms sheltered seating areas on every upward curve.




Pont Gustave Flaubert, Rouen, France

This is the incredible, brand new vertical lift bridge in Rouen, France, a beast of a structure whose 2 bridge spans weigh 1′200tons each but can be hoisted 180ft vertically by the bridge's lifting mechanism in an impressive 12 minutes. Just the angular structures at the top of each tower weigh in at 450tons each, helping to support the lifting system as cruise ships sail through.

Hegigio Gorge Pipeline Bridge, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Technically, this is a bridge: it's a structure which spans a gorge. The only difference is, the bridge can't be used by humans due to the fact that its purpose is to support 2 pipelines - 1 gas, 1 oil - across the extremely high gap in Papua New Guinea. So high in fact that if this were to be officially recognised as a bridge it would rocket to the top of the 'world's highest bridge-span' list at an impressive height of 1′290ft. By comparison, the current highest bridge span belongs to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, hanging a mere 1′053ft above ground level, while Manhattan's Chrysler Building measures 1′047ft