There are many bridges in the world, of a wide variety of designs and sizes. Large and small, high and low, fixed and sliding. They connect the banks of rivers, the sides of gorges, cliffs. Bridges are used to connect with the islands located near the coast. Transport interchanges, viaducts are also bridges. And which of the bridges in the world can be called the widest?
Sydney's iconic Great Bridge - an engineering marvel
Many sources claim that the widest bridge in the world is located in the largest Australian city of Sydney. It is a bridge called the Sydney Harbor Bridge that connects the shores of the deep Port Jackson Bay. Although many residents of the city condescendingly call this bridge "a hanger", due to some external resemblance to the mentioned household item, they are very proud of it. Sydney Bridge became operational in March 1932, after nearly 8 years of construction.
The bridge was necessary to securely link the southern, more populated areas of the city with the northern areas, and further development of the northern part of Sydney.
Currently, the Sydney Harbor Bridge has 8 traffic lanes (4 in each direction), 2 railway tracks and footpaths. It is one of the largest arched bridges in the world. In order to cross it by private vehicle, you need to pay about 3 Australian dollars. Considering the heavy traffic flow between the southern and northern regions of Sydney, it is not difficult to understand that a very solid amount accumulates in a year. It is used to pay for the maintenance and repair of the bridge.
The total length of this gigantic structure is about 1150 meters. The central span is 503 meters long and a little over 49 meters wide.
The blue bridge is short but very wide
However, in fact, the widest bridge is located in Russia, or rather, in St. Petersburg. This is the Blue Bridge, passing over the narrow river Moika, a tributary of the full-flowing Big Neva. The bridge is part of the architectural ensemble of St. Isaac's Square, connecting it with Voznesensky Prospekt and Antonenko Lane. The length of this bridge is only about 30 meters, but the width is as much as 97 meters
Due to its width, this structure is visually simply not perceived as a bridge. Many people consider it to be part of St. Isaac's Square.
Nowhere else in the world is there a bridge with such an uncharacteristic ratio of length and width. Therefore, the Blue Bridge is sometimes called the "square bridge" and also the "invisible bridge". Back in the 18th century, there was a wooden ferry at this place, painted with bright blue paint. In the 19th century, the bridge was replaced with a stone one, and in the 20th century it was restored, replacing the cast-iron elements with metal ones. For the passage of ships with masts, the bridge was made lifting.
