The Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, a cable-stayed span constructed in conjunction with Boston’s Big Dig highway relocation project, is an excellent example of how a distinctive design can become a symbol of a city. It is now virtually mandatory for people engaged in television interviews originating from Boston to be shown with that bridge as backdrop.
Among the most dramatic of newer cable-stayed bridges is the Millau Viaduct, which carries vehicle traffic high over France’s wide and deep Tarn Valley. The bridge’s roadway is so high off the ground that it appears on occasion to float above the clouds that form beneath it, but the bridge earns equal distinction for the gently arcing curve of its deck and its overall striking appearance. I have lost count of how many correspondents have sent me still and moving images they took while driving over this bridge, but I never tire of admiring their pictures.
Not all striking bridge designs are towering, long-span highway bridges. Many pedestrian bridges of exceptional aesthetic value have been designed and built in recent years. Among the most widely known is the London Millennium Bridge, the design of which was the collaborative effort of the Arup engineering firm, Foster and Partners architects, and the sculptor Anthony Caro. It resulted in a striking low-slung suspension bridge, which to many people is hardly recognizable as one. Unfortunately, the bridge became somewhat of an embarrassment when its walkway swayed so much that it had to be closed within three days of its opening. The problem was fixed by retrofitting the bridge with stiffening struts and dampers, and it has become one of the most popular new tourist attractions on the River Thames.
Among the most highly anticipated of new bridges is the replacement for the east span of the San Francisco -- Oakland Bay Bridge, which was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Rather than spend $1 billion to retrofit the old structure, the California Department of Transportation argued, the money could be better spent on a new and distinctive span. The centerpiece of the new bridge, whose final cost will likely exceed $6 billion, is an unusual structure -- a self-anchored suspension bridge, one over whose single tower cables are draped and then connected to the ends of the roadway. Expected to be completed next year, the structure is sure to bring bridge enthusiasts and their cameras to San Francisco Bay.
I expect I may be the recipient of some photos of the new Bay Bridge, and I will welcome them. Different people have different opportunities to see different structures from different perspectives under different environmental conditions. Unlike the fine art masterpieces hanging in a museum under controlled temperature, humidity, and lighting, bridges must be works for all seasons. And the best of them truly are.
I would certianly agree that many bridges are interesting and beautiful. I am often more impressed by design of practical things than of objects that are formally called art. If you ever get a chance to look at an integrated circuit under an electron microsocpe you find something incredibly beautiful in its own way.
As for bridges, I had an opportunity to walk inside of post tensioned cast-in-place concrete box girder structure just before it was completed. The spans started from both sides of the river and met in the middle. Getting that right was quite a feat. We were about 200 feet above the river with this ten foot gap in front of us. I was a little scary, but wonderful. Indisde the span were the cables and other structure of the bridge. While few would ever see it, it was intersting in its own way. I'm glad I got a chance to see it.
I have been fascinated/terrified by bridges since I was young. My fascination started in high school when we were tasked in a physics class to build a bridge out of dry spaghetti and glue. The test was to see how many bricks our teacher could hang from the bridge before it cracked. I can't remember how many bricks my bridge held, but I do remember drawing designs and working with my dad to test out different ideas.
My love for bridges was indeed renewed the first time I visited San Francisco. Walking along the Golden Gate Bridge was exhilarating.
Of course, there are the awful stories about bridges failing -- Minnesota bridge collapse, the Boston (where I'm from) nightmare called the Big Dig. For this reason, I also hold my breath when driving across these spans.
Bridges are indeed a great example of great engineering combined with great design. I live in the Boston area and was witness to the whole development effort around the Zakim Bridge, which indeed permanantly altered the Boston skyline. It's always amazed me how engineers are not only able to come up with these unique architectural designs, but more critically, buy off the engineering feat to actually bring them to life.
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