7. Millau Viaduct

At number 7, we have the tallest vehicular cable stayed bridge situated in France and completed in 2004. It was built at Tarn Valley to carry the A75 motorway south to Beziers. The highest point on this bridge falls just short of empire state building. If you ever travel on this bridge, be warned; your car will be suspended 271 meters above the valley. If you are wondering why take the risk of this tall bridge; it helps you save yourself from a four hour drive and almost a 100 km. The bridge has also helped in easing the traffic pressure of the area.

Another amazing cable-stayed bridge is the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge in Brazil. That’s the next stop on our tour of world’s best bridges.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxoTiPQzksA[/youtube]

6. Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge

Brazil, remember fast and furious 5? Well, it is Brazil where you would find such a fascinating bridge. São Paulo is a cosmopolitan city and is considered to be its financial hub. The bridge spans the Pinheiros River and is 900 m long with about 138 meters height. Why is it on our list? Ahem, did you take a look at the picture? Yes, two curved decks which cross each other through an X-shaped supporting tower covered by LED lighting. The tower can be colored in different lights and is sometimes used to convey important dates. The bridge has been named after Brazilian media mogul, Octavio Frias de Oliveira.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8aeU0pTiH8[/youtube]

5. St. Anthony Falls Bridge

A bridge that carried traffic in and out of Minneapolis collapsed on Aug. 1, 2007. Such events usually result in a public distrust and related issues. Within hours of this incident, officials vowed to rebuild the bridge and restore public confidence by incorporating safety features that would make is safer to travel on the bridge, the result was St. Anthony Falls Bridge which was inaugurated in September, 2008. This is a marvelous piece of engineering with high performance concrete and steel reinforcement (6.8 million kg) covered by epoxy to maintain the steel’s strength. About 323 sensors were embedded into the bridge which continually monitor the bridge and help analyze any problem area. The officials went to great lengths to ensure that no disaster would ever happen again. The concrete contains cement with Active TX which helps clean the air as well.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-7umNpoBxQ[/youtube]

4. DeNeveu Creek Bridge

Materials matter a lot when it comes to building structures. Steel used in concrete gets corroded when it’s exposed to water and/or air. Although we have a remedy for that; coating the rebars with epoxy but scientists at University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed another solution to this problem. Meet the reinforcing matrix made from a novel fiber-reinforced polymer. Yes, a lot of science so let’s break it down; basically the material is non-metallic and will not corrode while it has the strength to be used in structures providing a longer life to the structures. This material was used in DeNeveu Creek Bridge which is a 40m long bridge along Highway 151 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The payoff is the fact that this box girder bridge will not require any maintenance for at least 75 years compared to other bridges which require it within 30-40 years. The bridge completed in 2005 is well off without any repairs until 2080!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqD9hBQXi5Y[/youtube]