I think there are some examples here. I’m not all that familiar with the subject. I found these by Googling.
The Falkirk Wheel, although it’s only a partial bridge. Interestingly enough, the Wheel is another excellent demonstration of Archimedes’ principle.
I think I saw a report on that on BBC America. I don’t know why we don’t build cool civil engineering structures like that in the US.
OK, so a water bridge isn’t a new idea. I was just unfamiliar with the concept. I’m a little embarrassed as I went to engineering school in Troy, NY but never visited any part of the Erie Canal.
You (and thus Exapno) are quite right. The linked images seem to show just one aqueduct (in Rochester) but it’s quite clear that the old Erie canal was carried across the Genessee River on a bridge.
Here’s a page listing canal aqueducts in the UK. Most of the pictures don’t do them justice. Note the Barton Swing Aqueduct. It’s a canal, it’s a bridge, it moves!
Now try getting a beaker two miles long in one direction. Adding the cork to the beaker will increase its weight, but the interesting thing is that it will distribute that weight evenly across the entire length of the channel, for a localized total weight increase of (for all intents and purposes) diddly-squat.
That is quite possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen.
Wow! I can’t believe I missed that on the first pass. Makes the Soo locks suddenly not very interesting.