Posted on 09/29/2010 4:29:35 PM PDT by Pyro7480
Royal Gorge Bridge
Colorado
America's highest suspension bridge may be breathtaking for some, but those scared of heights may be left gasping for air as they stare straight down nearly 90 stories at the Arkansas River below. Completed in 1929, the bridge didn't have stabilizing wind cables until 1982.
Where: Royal Gorge, Colorado, over the Arkansas River.
Stats: 969 feet above the gorge; 1,260 feet long....
Mackinac Bridge
Michigan
Some drivers get so nervous about crossing this five-mile-long bridge that they don't even go. And this happens so often that the Mackinac Bridge Authority will drive your car or motorcycle for you (and for free). The biggest fear is the wind, which often exceeds 30 miles per hour on the bridge.
Where: Between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
Stats: 5 miles long; 199 feet above the water....
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Maryland
Drivers are notoriously afraid of this bridge, as it's subjected to frequent—and often violent—storms. And when the bad weather hits, forget about visibility: get to the middle of this five-mile-long bridge and you can barely see land.
Where: Spanning the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland's eastern and western shores.
Stats: Nearly 5 miles long; 186 feet high at its highest point.
(Excerpt) Read more at travel.yahoo.com ...
The only one I've ever been on is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I've crossed it many times. Most of the time, it isn't a problem. The only time I've ever had a problem was a few years back when there was a pretty bad wind and rain storm, and that combined with the slipstream coming off the side of a Purdue Chicken tractor trailer took out my windshield wipers as I was almost across. I couldn't see where I was going, and I was forced to spend the night on Kent Island as the rain continued into the evening.
I love the Big Mac. Last time I went, my girlfriend made me drive both ways and sunk her fingers into my arm. On the way back there was a wind advisory but it wasn’t bad at 35 mph.
The scariest ones are the rickety bridges...yikes
The old floating bridge near Seattle was fun. It would close in really bad storms but I remember going across a few times as a kid where it was a rocking and rolling pretty good. After I moved away I heard it was replaced after a section was lost in a storm.
I like the Capilano bridge - look ma, no hands! Heck, my grandmother was okay with it.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge now - I’m afraid my car is going to develop some suicidal delusion of boathood. The time we drove it in the rain, and the car was skating, wasn’t as bad, because we couldn’t see the water.
Ugliest news teaser ever: “A car with two women and three children plunges off the Bay Bridge. Find out what happened when we return.”
OMG...the first one I can understand, but the other two? Cakewalk. One of America’s creepiest bridges EVER is gone now...the original Cooper River Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina...the ultimate ‘white knuckle bridge’.
Royal Gorge is awesome. I haven't been on it since around 1980, but I remember a serious pucker factor!
Been over the Royal Gorge, thought it was pretty cool.
Live in Maryland and have been over the Chesapeake countless times...will admit it scares me when they open one of the spans to two way traffic. Don’t trust other drivers.
>>>The scariest ones are the rickety bridges...yikes
Try being on the Royal Gorge bridge, walking across while there’s a vehicle on it... you can feel the sway. Looking down between the planks is cool.
I’ve flown the Mackinac. Got the Mooney down level with the cars, eased back on the throttle and the bridge is just great!!
I think that taken from anchor with two pillars the Mackinac is the longest suspension bridge in the world. If I recall correctly.
*shiver*
I visited Colorado for a couple of weeks back around 79 or 80. Royal Gorge was one of the things that impressed me most. I’ll never forget standing in the middle and looking down past my feet through the wooden slatted surface.
Or looking over the railing and trying to see how long you could follow your spit. :)
We went for a drive one day and ended up going around Lake Michigan and upwards and ended up going over the Mac. I hate bridges, but I enjoyed the ride.
I’ve driven that a few times on the way to Sullivan’s Island (and back). It wasn’t so bad. For a bridge built in the 1930s...
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