Comments on: Bridge Of Water

By: Sidoni

Sidoni — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 06:28:44 +0000

@J.Kyle... can it, wise man.

By: J. Kyle

J. Kyle — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:30:41 +0000

Nicole, it's most likely part of a canal network, which was used for transportation before railroads.
One issue with canals is you need a flat surface, otherwise you have to have a series of locks to raise/lower boats onto different levels of a canal.
By building a bridge in this way over dry land (like a valley), a canal can stay on one level, and you don't need a series of locks to drop the boat down to valley level, and then another set to raise it back up again. So the boats can go straight without stopping, since locks are very time consuming.
In this case, the bridge is taking the canal over a river. Can you imagine what would happen if the canal joined the river at the same level? It would be a nightmare of navigation to exit the canal, enter the current of the river pushing at your boat from the side, and then trying to re-enter the canal on the other bank. That's in addition to needing the locks to get up/down to the river level, as I mentioned before.
If you want to know more about such things, read up on the history of the canal system in upstate New York, which connected New York City to the Great Lakes before the era of rail-roads. I believe there is even a similar water-filled bridge in Rochester.

Now with more modern modes of transportation, one might argue that canals in general are not necessary anymore. But it made sense at the time they built it.

Long story short, if in the future you see something where someone went to a lot of trouble, there is probably a reason.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:19:59 +0000

well, they look cool but seriously a bridge that holds water? What about it makes it so efficient or interesting that it is really nesisary?

By: dangermind

dangermind — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:52:29 +0000

aquaduct

By: Phil Rogers

Phil Rogers — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 07:59:58 +0000

Sorry Dave, it's not a Viaduct; it's an Aqueduct. You're right though - there are many of them in Europe - all over the world in fact. If anyone wants to see pictures of more, just look up "aqueduct" in Wikipedia, or just Google "aqueduct".

By: dave

dave — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:12:57 +0000

uh... its not that rare, its called a Viaduct, the Roman's had them and there are many in Europe.....

By: claudia

claudia — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:38:22 +0000

wow.this is soo awsome. its very rare.!!

By: Me

Me — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:00:22 +0000

Woah, that's incredible!

By: gaga

gaga — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:33:33 +0000

excellent!!

By: NEill

NEill — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:21:35 +0000

At first I cant believe this but when I search it and found it in Germany I then believe it. Very fantastic!

By: Terpentin01

Terpentin01 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:50:05 +0000

its in magdeburg germany...the only one in the world like this

By: marydane

marydane — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:20:36 +0000

whatta bridge! Was that real?!