Fancy bridges in the middle of nowhere

[dlsterner]

Why do some areas get fancy bridges in the middle of nowhere?

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4829682,-78.2448685,3a,69.3y,268.18h,92.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3_7Nid_4oaSdT22GUeZIUQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

What's so fancy about that bridge?

Earlier in the thread, a few weeks ago, the OP did try to justify his assertion.  Although at this point in time you may be waiting a while for the OP to reply.

[froggie]

MN 36 / WI 64 over the St. Croix River, Hudson, WI

Fancy, yes.  But I wouldn't call Stillwater the "middle of nowhere".

Your Penobscot Narrows example, on the other hand...yes that's pretty rural...

[webny99]

MN 36 / WI 64 over the St. Croix River, Hudson, WI

Fancy, yes.  But I wouldn't call Stillwater the "middle of nowhere".

Maybe not Stillwater itself, but the bridge is sufficiently removed from town that it feels like the middle of nowhere, especially approaching from the Wisconsin side. But once on the Minnesota side, you realize that's not the case pretty quickly!

[MCRoads]

But, I think that this bridge might take the cake.

More "middle of nowhere" than this one?

Yeah, I think you might've got me beat there...

[sparker]

https://goo.gl/maps/ELHJ4ZeiTMWFzEeX7



https://goo.gl/maps/CvYUKigiU2NtM3w77



https://goo.gl/maps/kKUWr5Kx7JCTsa9o8

Hey, it's the Trans-Canada -- nice to have some original bridge design along a nation's premier cross-country route.  Can't fault Ontario for wanting to put their best engineering foot forward on this route -- they sure have plenty of cookie-cutter freeway overpasses on 401 and in the Toronto/Hamilton area in general. 

Made me think of this.  Maybe not the middle of nowhere, but rural. 

Take a close look at the deck of that bridge -- it features closely-spaced overhead electrical catenary; it's one of their HSR bridges -- and this example is low-key compared to some of the structures along those rail lines -- particularly the ones that span whole valleys!

[kkt]

Yeah, that looks like a typical overpass to me.  A nice one, but still.  Now, this is a fancy bridge in the middle of nowhere!

Hey, I know that bridge!  I saw it under construction when we took the ferryboat that paralleled the bridge.

[Road Hog]

And if you're wanting freeway underpasses, Hwy 400 between Toronto and Barrie had a number of bridges stamped with the provincial coat-of-arms, which have been replicated on some of their replacements.
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Not exactly middle of nowhere today, though when the original structures were built they were.

Arkansas has been doing something similar with some of their newer over and underpasses in the northwest part of the state, stamping the state's shape on a wall just below the bridge itself. Here is an example of one of them:

Northwest Arkansas isn't exactly the middle of nowhere, but this overpass (and several others) are on a rural stretch (for now) of what will soon be I-49.

Arkansas is just copying what Texas has been doing for years now:

[ethanhopkin14]

And if you're wanting freeway underpasses, Hwy 400 between Toronto and Barrie had a number of bridges stamped with the provincial coat-of-arms, which have been replicated on some of their replacements.
<image>

<image>

Not exactly middle of nowhere today, though when the original structures were built they were.

Arkansas has been doing something similar with some of their newer over and underpasses in the northwest part of the state, stamping the state's shape on a wall just below the bridge itself. Here is an example of one of them:

Northwest Arkansas isn't exactly the middle of nowhere, but this overpass (and several others) are on a rural stretch (for now) of what will soon be I-49.

Arkansas is just copying what Texas has been doing for years now:

First there were these longhorns. Then there is this.

[US 89]

Hard to beat the pair of big arch bridges on Utah SR 95 over the Colorado and Dirty Devil River for this. They are about 50 miles from any sort of permanent population or even cell signal.

[1995hoo]

In terms of truly "middle of nowhere," people who deem cable-stayed bridges to be inherently "fancy" should vote for the Deh Cho Bridge in the Northwest Territories.

(Edited to add a link.)

[Bruce]

The Ione Bridge, built in 1932 to cross the Pend Oreille River and connect a town of 500 people with some forests tucked away in the northeast corner of Washington state.

[Flint1979]

Does the Mackinac Bridge count? I sure feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere when I'm on it.

[GaryV]

Did you ever cross the Mac at night, in winter, in a snowstorm?  Then you truly feel in the middle of nowhere.  Snow is flying toward your windshield and it looks like you're still going up, even after you see (for about 2 seconds) the main cables lowest point.  I know now why pilots crash their planes into a mountain when they didn't believe their instruments.

[Flint1979]

Did you ever cross the Mac at night, in winter, in a snowstorm?  Then you truly feel in the middle of nowhere.  Snow is flying toward your windshield and it looks like you're still going up, even after you see (for about 2 seconds) the main cables lowest point.  I know now why pilots crash their planes into a mountain when they didn't believe their instruments.

I have and it's an experience to be honest about it. I've come across there at 3 in the morning before with snow flying and you could only see for maybe a quarter of a mile ahead if that. I was driving like 20 mph and it took about 15 minutes to cross it for those 15 minutes it was like omg am I going to make it across. I've also traveled across in some wind gusts before and could feel the bridge moving back and forth when I was on it.

Last time I came across the bridge was about two weeks ago and it was very foggy and you couldn't see anything except for the bridge right in front of you. The fog started going away as I was going through Indian River.

[Flint1979]

Did you ever cross the Mac at night, in winter, in a snowstorm?  Then you truly feel in the middle of nowhere.  Snow is flying toward your windshield and it looks like you're still going up, even after you see (for about 2 seconds) the main cables lowest point.  I know now why pilots crash their planes into a mountain when they didn't believe their instruments.

Honestly that is the scariest part of the bridge to me is where the suspension cables are even with the bridge deck and your about 200 feet above the water.

[plain]

The Ione Bridge, built in 1932 to cross the Pend Oreille River and connect a town of 500 people with some forests tucked away in the northeast corner of Washington state.

That's a pretty clean paint job on that bridge! I hate grated decks though (especially on non-drawbridges) but given its age, it's cool.

[SteveG1988]

Would it count if it is fancy...but on a main road, for example I-80 in PA has two fancy deck trusses that are a bit out of the way from the main settlements in the area. But it is on a main route

[tolbs17]

Why do some areas get fancy bridges in the middle of nowhere?

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4829682,-78.2448685,3a,69.3y,268.18h,92.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3_7Nid_4oaSdT22GUeZIUQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

What's so fancy about that bridge?

See my earlier posts as dlsterner stated.

[tolbs17]

The Asheboro Bypass in North Carolina has a nice fancy design compared to the Greenville Southwest Bypass which does not. I don't get why they did nothing to enhance the Greenville southwest bypass.

I will post links when I'm not on my phone

[tolbs17]

This bridge can be fancy! I love how it has the curved steel beams where it meets with the piers. These are all over US-70 from Dover to New Bern.

It's a shame that I don't see these types of bridges being built anymore. The ones that get build now are just boring.

https://goo.gl/maps/4jfpSoi7eb34jkMT7

I'll add this in too: https://goo.gl/maps/DkHdGA4F1ADPZ46r6 Also a unique design.

[Max Rockatansky]

This bridge can be fancy! I love how it has the curved steel beams where it meets with the piers. These are all over US-70 from Dover to New Bern.

It's a shame that I don't see these types of bridges being built anymore. The ones that get build now are just boring.

https://goo.gl/maps/4jfpSoi7eb34jkMT7

It's not, nor can ever be.

[tolbs17]

This bridge can be fancy! I love how it has the curved steel beams where it meets with the piers. These are all over US-70 from Dover to New Bern.

It's a shame that I don't see these types of bridges being built anymore. The ones that get build now are just boring.

https://goo.gl/maps/4jfpSoi7eb34jkMT7

It's not, nor can ever be.

I wonder what makes you say that?

[Max Rockatansky]

This bridge can be fancy! I love how it has the curved steel beams where it meets with the piers. These are all over US-70 from Dover to New Bern.

It's a shame that I don't see these types of bridges being built anymore. The ones that get build now are just boring.

https://goo.gl/maps/4jfpSoi7eb34jkMT7

It's not, nor can ever be.

I wonder what makes you say that?

It's not fancy.  I don't even think many would disagree it is objectively non-fancy.  Also, how is I-42 in the middle of nowhere?

[Max Rockatansky]

A real fancy bridge in the middle of nowhere; the Mosquito Road Bridge northeast of Placerville:

0 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0310 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[SkyPesos]

This bridge can be fancy! I love how it has the curved steel beams where it meets with the piers. These are all over US-70 from Dover to New Bern.

It's a shame that I don't see these types of bridges being built anymore. The ones that get build now are just boring.

https://goo.gl/maps/4jfpSoi7eb34jkMT7

I'll add this in too: https://goo.gl/maps/DkHdGA4F1ADPZ46r6 Also a unique design.

That looks like the most plain bridge i've ever seen. Have you looked outside of North Carolina on Google maps to find some real examples yet?