Double-Decker Live Root Bridges in Meghalaya, India

Meghalaya's Double-Decker and Single-Decker root bridges are unique in the world and are a sight to behold. The bridges are tangles of massive thick roots, which have been intermingled to form a bridge that can hold several people at a time. Khasi people have been trained to grow these bridges across the raised banks of streams to form a solid bridge, made from roots. The living bridges are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree, which produces a series of secondary roots that are perched atop huge boulders along the streams or the riverbanks to form bridges.

Image credit Banjara Camps & Retreats

High Line Park, New York

High Line Park, Special Park in New York, based on disused railway line in 1.6 kilometers, situated at height of ten meters. The park is named West Side Line and stretches along the lower west side of Manhattan. In 1980 the last train passed along this line was operated by Conrail, extending with three carloads of frozen turkeys. Almost two decades, the area remained abandoned until local architectural enthusiasts David Joshua and Robert Hammond appealed to the public to discuss the future of the High Line. Withing a few months, these town New Yorkers founded the Friends Foundation High Line to raise money and transform an abandoned rail line into unique oasis for pedestrians. Since opening in 2009, the High Line has become the second most visited cultural site in New York, attracting about four million visitors a year. The park has become so poplar that other cities followed suit and began to implement the same project in London, Chicago, Philadelphia and Rotterdam.

Drive Under the water

The Aqueduct Veluwemeer is a navigable aqueduct over the N302 road near Harderwijk, in eastern Netherlands. It is located under a small part of the lake Veluwemeer and at the same time connects the mainland Netherlands to Flevoland, which is the largest artificial island in the world. The aqueduct was opened to traffic in 2002, and about 25 meters long and 19 meters wide and has a water depth of 3 meters that permit small boats to pass through. There’re estimated 28,000 vehicles passes every day. Footpaths are built on either side of the aqueduct for public that really good to enjoy the view.

Image credit imgday

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...

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...

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...

Top 7 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

Photo — Link

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.

 Photo — Link

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..

10 Incredible Navigable Aqueducts

Navigable aqueducts (sometimes called water bridges) are bridge structures that carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railways or roads. They are primarily distinguished by their size, carrying a larger cross-section of water than most water-supply aqueducts. Although Roman aqueducts were sometimes used for transport, aqueducts were not generally used until the 17th century when the problems of summit level canals had been solved and modern canal systems started to appear.

01. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct — UK

 Photo — Link

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham County Borough in north east Wales. Completed in 1805, it is the longest and highest aqueduct in Britain, a Grade I Listed Building and a World Heritage Site. Built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, it is 307 m. (1,007 ft.) long, 3.4 m. (11 ft.) wide and 1.6 m. (5.25 ft.) deep.

 Photo — Link

The towpath is mounted above the water, with the inner edge carried on cast-iron pillars in the trough. This arrangement allows the water displaced by the passage of a narrow boat to flow easily around it, enabling relatively free passage. Every five years the ends of the aqueduct are closed and a plug in one of the highest spans is opened to drain the canal water into the River Dee below, for inspection and maintenance of the trough. [Link - Map]

16 more Navigable Aqueducts after the break...

The Longest Sea Bridge in the World

China opens longest sea bridge in the world. Bridge road, but the way it is through the waters of the Yellow Sea. The total length of 41.58 kilometers of buildings. 12 more images after the break...

Moses Bridge

No, your eyes are not deceiving you - the waters have indeed parted! This incredible “sunken” bridge located in the Netherlands is giving visitors a unique way to access a beautiful 17th Century Dutch fort. Designed by RO & AD Architects, the Moses Bridge literally parts the waters that surround the fort, allowing pedestrians to pass through. The bridge is made from sustainable Accsys Technologies Accoya wood, which is both FSC and PEFC certified. 10 more images after the break...

Winding Pedestrian Bridge

Amazing in the form of a bridge in Chicago, leading to the city park Millenium. Its designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. The bridge is named in honor of "British Petroleum", which contributed to its construction of the $ 5 million. 09 more images after the break...

Bridges for Wild Life

Roads are often crossed by natural migration routes of animals living in a particular locality. To solve the problem of wildlife destruction under the wheels of vehicles in many countries of erecting special bridges. For these bridges, animals can move freely without risk of being shot down. This post contains a few examples of such bridges built in Canada, Australia, USA, Holland and France. 10 more images after the break...

World’s Top 10 Longest Single Span Bridges

1. Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, Japan – 1,991 m

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan heads the list of the top 10 longest single spand bridges in the world. Europe’s longest singel span bridge is the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, although current plans for a bridge between mainland Italy and Sicily across the Messina straights would surpass it if given the go ahead. The Tsing Ma (Hong Kong to China), has the longest span for a bridge with both road and train traffic. More Images after the break...

Khaju Bridge — Isfahan

Khaju Bridge is arguably the finest bridge in the province of Isfahan, Iran. It was built by the Persian Safavid king, Shah Abbas II around 1650 C.E., on the foundations of an older bridge. Serving as both a bridge, and a dam (or a weir), it links the Khaju quarter on the north bank with the Zoroastrian quarter across the Zayandeh River. Although architecturally functioning as a bridge and a weir, it also served a primary function as a building and a place for public meetings.[1] This structure originally was ornated with artistic tile works and paintings serving as a teahouse; In the center of the structure, a pavilion exists inside of which Shah Abbas would have once sat, admiring the views. Today remnants of a stone seat is all that remains of the king's chair. This bridge highlights one of the finest examples of Persian architecture at the height of Safavid cultural influence in Iran. In words of Upham Pope and Jean Chardin, Khaju bridge is "the culminating monument of Persian bridge architecture and one of the most interesting bridges extant...where the whole has rhythm and dignity and combines in the happiest consistency, utility, beauty, and recreation." 06 more images after the break...