Some bridges offer relaxing scenic views, or at least a faster way to get to hard to reach spots. And then there is the Eshima Ohashi bridge in Sakaiminato, Japan. The Eshima was completed in 2004 and was soon after dubbed the 'Rollercoaster Bridge" because the rise in the middle gives driver's the optical illusion that the cars ahead of them are driving off a cliff to a watery doom.
It's one of the one of the tallest rigid frame bridges in the world, according to Atlas Obscura. The bridge is constructed with a steep, 44 foot rise in the middle to allow shipping to use the river below. The concrete bridge connects the cities of Matsue and Sakaiminato and spans a mile across Lake Nakaumi.
While the bridge looks gravity defying, engineers actually built it with only a 6.1 percent slope on one side and a 5.1 percent slope on the other. This means that for every 100 feet of horizontal distance the bridge extends, it rises 6.1 feet. It's quite a gentle climb, but gives drivers the optical illusion that the road simply ends at the apex. Really the bridge isn't that bad. For comparison in pure scariness, Los Angeles' infamous Eldred Street has a dizzying 33 percent gradient. There are plenty of scary places to driver around the world. For more, check out our picks for the most dangerous roads in the world.
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It's one of the one of the tallest rigid frame bridges in the world, according to Atlas Obscura. The bridge is constructed with a steep, 44 foot rise in the middle to allow shipping to use the river below. The concrete bridge connects the cities of Matsue and Sakaiminato and spans a mile across Lake Nakaumi.
While the bridge looks gravity defying, engineers actually built it with only a 6.1 percent slope on one side and a 5.1 percent slope on the other. This means that for every 100 feet of horizontal distance the bridge extends, it rises 6.1 feet. It's quite a gentle climb, but gives drivers the optical illusion that the road simply ends at the apex. Really the bridge isn't that bad. For comparison in pure scariness, Los Angeles' infamous Eldred Street has a dizzying 33 percent gradient. There are plenty of scary places to driver around the world. For more, check out our picks for the most dangerous roads in the world.
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