Whenever an adrenaline junkie or base jumper is watching television or a movie, they are always on the lookout for a fantastic place that they could potentially jump from. You see them every day but these types of daredevils see them in a completely different light. While you might see something like the Brooklyn Bridge as a beautiful sight, one of these people sees the exact same bridge as a challenge.
There are plenty of these structures around the world and they are magnificent not only for their design but for what they can offer these types of crazy people who like to jump off of them for fun. Today we are going to take a look at some of the most amazing bridges in the world for both reasons. So we can be dazzled at the designs they have and so the daredevils can plan out their next several trips.
What you are going to see here will wow you as you think about how they were made. In one case, the bridge is an exasperating twenty-six miles long. It boggles the mind to think about what it took to coordinate such an effort.
From the daredevil's point of view, the only thing that is mind-boggling is how they can get the time and money to make some of the trips that would be necessary to conquer some of these mammoth structures.
20 The Magdeburg Water Bridge, Magdeburg, Germany
This is one different type of bridge. Normally bridges are built so that cars or pedestrians can get over water and boats. This time, this beauty was built so that boats could get over other boats. That’s right it’s a water bridge!
Located in Magdeburg, Germany the water bridge goes over the Elbe River and connects the Elbe-Havel Canal and the Mittelland Canal. It’s more than three thousand feet in length and replaced a largely ineffective system that stood there for many years previous. That system included a more than seven-mile detour and a boat lift!
They say the best inventions are those that solve a problem. This is exactly that!
19 Millau Viaduct, Millau, France
The Millau Viaduct is just flat out crazy. If you are looking for something to base jump or parachute from, this is it. It opened up in 2004 in Millau, France and it stands at 1,125 feet, making it the tallest bridge in the world.
It spans more than eight thousand feet and goes across the Tam River Valley. The bridge was designed by Lord Norman Foster and he used seven giant pillars to complete it in only three years. Once they were in place the roadway (which was built elsewhere) was slid in place across them.
This amazing bridge can actually allow you to jump into the clouds from above on certain days!
18 Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an iconic piece of architectural history. It expands across the Sydney Harbour and took more than eight years to build and finally opened way back in 1932. Think about this: the bridge has more than six million hand driven rivets in it to hold it together.
The heat down under required a precise type of hinges to be used and each one was manually inserted by humans. It’s 160 feet wide and spans 3,700 feet, 440 feet above the water. The heights are perfect for a base jumper looking for a picturesque bridge to jump off of.
17 Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is one of the more iconic bridges in the entire world. It’s instantly recognizable and has been featured in countless movies and television shows. It connects San Francisco to Marion County and it’s hard to believe that it was built in only four years.
When it opened back in 1937 it was the longest in the world at 4,210 feet. Besides the beauty of the simplistic looking design, what stands out most is the color. The “International Orange” color was chosen so that the bridge was easier to see for boaters facing the horizon. It’s been in countless awesome photographs and is a base jumper's dream!
16 Brooklyn Bridge, New York City
It took fourteen years to build the historic Brooklyn Bridge and when it finally opened in 1883 it became an immediate icon in the industry that is still current today. It has gone through a few mega-million dollar renovations but it has never lost that original beautiful look.
It spans 7,710 feet and supports vehicles on the lower level and pedestrians on the upper level. There is a reason that’s it’s featured in movies and television shows all the time.
While it’s perfect for base jumping it’s not recommended as the NYPD doesn’t really appreciate it. Go ahead and give it a shot though if you’re brave enough!
15 Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy
This is a bridge like none other. It is the only bridge of the kind in Florence, Italy that survived WWII and you can still see some of the original beauty.
What makes it so different is the second story. Normally when you see a second story on a bridge, it’s for cars, trains or pedestrians. This one has shops and houses that were built onto the original bridge. Hey made use of the strong foundation that was enough to withstand the beating it took in the war.
It goes across the Arno River and the second story was added back in 1565.
14 The Bay Bridge, Oakland, California
The Bay Bridge is the second iconic bridge in the San Francisco area but Oakland is the official owner of this one. The bridge was severely damaged in the 1989 earthquake and has been rebuilt and upgraded to meet today’s standard of earthquake safety.
It’s now the largest self-anchored suspension bridge in the entire world at 2,047 feet long. A single tower that stands at 525 feet high holds the single main cable that is a mile long. It’s made up of more than 17,000 steel wire strands.
The view it offers is spectacular, especially if you are planning on base jumping from it!
13 Nanpu Bridge, Shanghai, China
The Nanpu Bridge in Shanghai, China is a sight to see for sure. It’s seven lanes wide and crosses over the Huangpu River. The most impressive feature though is the circularly elevated onramps that are more than four miles long if you were to stretch it out straight.
Developers had to come up with something special here because of the heavily congested area they had to work with. The design is perfect for the area and the part that actually crosses the water is as well.
The view is unmatched and is a base jumper's dream. You just have to go to China to give it a shot!
12 Tower Bridge, London, UK
There are not many other bridges around that are as picturesque as the Tower Bridge in London. It took eight years to build this one and when it opened up in 1894 on the east side of the city, people were amazed, and still are. It crosses the Thames River as both a suspension bridge and a bascule bridge.
Each tower stands at 213 feet high to support the two hundred foot span that raises up to let larger boat traffic pass through.
The upper span offers up some fantastic views and if you are a base jumping fanatic this one has got to be on your “to do” list.
11 Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France
The Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas Bridge in Bordeaux, France doesn’t look like much in its natural state. It looks like a normal bridge that allows you to get from one side of the Garonne River to the other. The four pillars near the center of it tell you that the bridge has the potential for something special but you don’t realize the beauty of it until the entire center 2,200-foot long span starts to rise, straight up into the air.
The pillars lift the span 252 feet into the air to allow large ships to pass by. If a base jumper can get on this span while it’s raised they will be in heaven!
10 Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, Kobe, Japan
If you think you have seen some gorgeous pieces of architecture so far, feast yours on this. The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Kobe, Japan is the longest suspension bridge in the entire world.
It took twelve years to build the 12,800-foot bridge and it opened up across the Akashi Strait in 1998 with 190,000 miles of cabling to hold it up.
It’s a particularly complex area as developers had to account for earthquakes, forceful sea currents slamming into the towers, and high winds to create the perfect bridge for this area.
The winds are great for a base jumper but landing in the currents below probably isn’t recommended.
9 Capilano Cliffwalk, North Vancouver, Canada
The Capilano Cliffwalk in North Vancouver, British Columbia is exactly what it sounds like; a bridge for pedestrians. It’s located right next to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and offers views that you won’t see in many places around the world.
The Cliffwalk opened back in 2011 and it's seven hundred feet of walkway that actually hangs off of a cliff - a cliff that is two hundred and thirty feet above the ground!
It’s anchored into the walls of the cliff that it extends out from and it can hold up to 100,000 pounds on it. It might be enticing to base jumpers but there are a lot of trees around that cause some concern.
8 Tilikum Crossing, Portland, Oregon
The Tilikum Crossing in Portland, Oregon is another structure that is not made for regular vehicle traffic. It spans across the Willamette River only for pedestrian and streetcar traffic.
It’s skinnier than most bridges and the one hundred and ten foot high towers draw the attention of more than the average passerby. On any given day the side areas for pedestrian traffic can be jam-packed full of walkers and joggers.
There are portions that jut out where you can get a good look out over the water or that an experienced base jumper might be able to take advantage of.
7 The Confederation Bridge, Borden-Carlton, Canada
The eight-mile-long Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carlton, Canada is never going to be nominated for any beautiful bridge awards. But it wasn’t built to be beautiful, it was built to accomplish a goal, and in that regard, it did that with flying colors.
It connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick and is the longest bridge that goes over ice. You can see now what the goal was right? Something had to be built that was strong enough to withstand the force of the ice constantly pushing up against it. It stands 131 feet above the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait.
Any base jumpers that have any thoughts about taking on this bridge had better do it in the summertime!
6 Hangzhou Bay Bridge, Jiaxing to Ningbo, China
This one is just crazy. The Hangzhou Bay Bridge is the longest trans-oceanic bridge in the world. It’s more than twenty-one miles long and it connects Jiaxing and Ningbo. The bridge is on the eastern side of China and has nice sections to it.
If you think you have been on some long bridges before, ask yourself this question: did they have a gas station, restaurant, conference center and hotel in the middle of it like this one does? Insane!
This one is a base jumpers dream if you can handle the long trek over there. From the looks of things, it might definitely be worth the trip!
5 Russky Bridge, Russky Island, Russia
When the Russky Bridge opened up in 2012 it instantly became the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It’s over 10,000 feet long and is held up by the second highest pylons in the world. This one billion dollar bridge is often called the “Gateway to Nowhere.”
It’s located in Russky Island, Russia and while the height of the pylons, 1,053 feet, might be enticing to base jumpers, it’s probably not a bridge you’ll want to visit.
The bridge is located in a very remote area of southeast Russia near the borders of China, Korea (North), and Japan. As you can see it’s not a very visit-friendly place to go. Enjoy the photo and go somewhere else for your thrills. Your life may depend on it!
4 Lupu Bridge, Shanghai, China
This beautiful bridge is a sight to see during the day and at night. Once darkness falls the structure is lit up in beautiful colors that draw attention to it, even though they aren’t really needed for that.
It’s the Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, China and it’s right around 2,460 feet long. It stretches across the Huangpu River and connects Pudong with Huangpu.
It consists of six lanes for vehicle traffic and two pedestrian walkways that actually allow you to walk right over the arch!
There isn’t a base jumper in the world who wouldn’t want to conquer this one!
3 Szechenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest, Hungary
William Tierney Clark, an English engineer, wanted to solve a problem about getting across the Danube River back in the mid-1800s. He came up with the Szechenyi Chain Bridge that opened up in 1849. At that time, the cast iron and stone bridge was one of the longest in the world.
In 1945 the German army did their best to bring it down but the towers at each side never crumbled. This allowed for the bridge to be rebuilt in 1949.
If you’re a base jumper and don’t mind taking a trip to Budapest, Hungary, make your way to the top of one of those towers and I’m sure you’ll have a great time.
2 Royal Gorge Bridge, Canon City, Colorado
The Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon City, Colorado is the highest bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It stands 955 feet over the Arkansas River and the span has a total of 1,260 feet.
When it first opened up back in 1929, it had a total of 1,292 wooden planks that made up the span. It looks a bit scary to cross right now so you can imagine how it was back in those days. There were portions of time since then as well that they actually allowed vehicle traffic on it, but no more.
There is parachuting nearby but why would a base jumper go there when this beast stands before them?
1 Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, Shandong, China
The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is just total insanity. It opened up in 2011 and it’s the longest bridge over water as it spans an amazing twenty-six miles. It connects Huangdao Island, Qingdao, and Huangdao and sports more than five thousand concrete pillars to hold it up.
The structure is made up of a self-anchoring suspension bridge and a cable-stayed bridge that comes to a T design at one end. This is not a bridge you want to end up on by accident as it might be quite a while before you can turn around.
However, if you’re a base jumper, the middle section is something that you’d probably want to take on!
References: popularmechanics, wikipedia