Humans portray their talent in many ways, and one such beneficial innovation is the floating bridge that connects two sides of a water body. The floating bridge helps people cross a river or lake utilizing pontoons instead of permanent fixings.
These floating bridges had a place in history in the Greek and Persian periods and were employed for military reasons. With the latest technology and smart Engineers with appropriate requirements, floating bridges play a primary role in many countries today. Run through a few incredible and longest floating bridges we’ve compiled for you.
1. Lacey V.Murrow Memorial Bridge
While discussing the longest floating bridge on the sea, the Lacey V.Murrow memorial bridge is one amongst the list located in Seattle in the USA. Engineer Homer Hadley burst out with pride as Lacey Bridge is the first-ever floating bridge that incorporates concrete pontoons. A storm filled a pontoon and sank an 850m portion of the bridge during reconstruction in 1990. The bridge stood up prestigious tagged as the longest bridge by battling all these challenges.
2. Nordhordland Bridge Norway
If you wish to go cycling across the bridge with a protective fetop or a smooth drive over the bridge, make it true as the Nordhordland Bridge holds two lanes for both. The 1,246 meters bridge is a combination of pontoon and cable. The floating section stands high as a steel girder on ten concrete pontoons with nine water-tight cells.
The designer Aas Jakobsen found the Salhusfjorden has extreme depth, and building a bridge would cost a fortune. Pontoons, tightened with cables and bolts, made things easy and the longest bridge in history.
3. Evergreen Point Floating Bridge.
The 2350 meter floating bridge was an achievement for engineers in 2016. The lake’s bottom has 77 pontoons of concrete with 58 anchors tethered with steel cables. Few pontoons support the deck, and others even out the bridge’s weight. Opting for a conventional bridge would cost high, leading to huge approaches and costly towers. A floating bridge does wonders across deep and long rivers.
4. Yumemai Bridge
The 410 meters Yumemai bridge was the world’s first floating bridge on Osaka Bay, linking Maishima and Yumeshima. The soft nature of the ground led to the adoption of floating bridges. Steel pontoons were laid for the arches to rest on it. The protection for steel pontoons was extraordinary, with inner linings of titanium plates to avert corrosion with a cathodic protection system. A massive weight of 30,000 tons is the weight of the floating portion of the bridge.
5. Bergsoy Sound Bridge, Norway
During winter, your highway driver wears a Fangyuan Jacket and drives from Apoya and Bergsoya over the Bergsoy Sound Bridge. Holt takes up pride in designing the abutments and pontoons. DNC Veritect was responsible for the design of the steel superstructure. The beneficial bridge lies on seven concrete pontoons and serves as the best travel route.
6. Berbice Bridge, Guyana
The bridge lays comfortably on thirty-nine pontoons and initiates at the mouth of the Berbice River. The unique part of the bridge is that it’s open each day for a few hours for sea traffic. The innovative idea was welcoming and beneficial too.
7. Homer M. Hadley, USA
The Interstate 90 habitants and Westbound citizens find Homer M.Hadley as the best floating bridge for their travel across. The intelligent engineer Homer M.Hadley used nine super high structures and ten concrete structures. People were delighted to travel across Seattle, Wash, and Mercer island on the floating bridge, whether outing, jolly drive or everyday schedule.
8. William R. Bennett Bridge, Canada
The tremendous five-lane bridge lies on nine pontoons with large dimensions. The exceptional design of the bridge replaced another floating bridge and the Okanagan bridge too. SNC Lavalin was the designer for the floating bridge construction. He faced several challenges such as construction along the floating bridge, aggressive schedule, normal traffic hindrance, etc. However, the floating bridge came out in flying colors and was the best and longest bridge.
9. Demerara Harbor Bridge, Guyana
Initiating at the mouth of the Demerara River, the bridge stands out as a two-lane bridge accommodating a capacity of 14,000 vehicles. If you’re one of the usual travelers over the floating bridge, you must be aware that the bridge opens for river traffic each day. The opening time for the bridge relies greatly on the flow velocities and water levels, and hence be prepared to take up Demerara Harbour Bridge. Plan for a drive and feel the pleasure of driving over a floating bridge.
Conclusion
With advanced planning and intelligent implementation, floating bridges serve people in many countries across the globe. Every floating bridge is unique and follows simplistic but innovative designs across water channels. These awesome bridges have made traveling across rivers easy with their smart structures. Thanks to the innovative engineers, they have made traveling easy with these beautiful and longest floating bridges.
