Bridge proposed between Italy and Sicily
Or maybe just a hand of whist?
I don’t consider myself having any sort of irrational fear of either, but for some reason the Burlington Skyway in my part of country freaks me out and I hate having to cross it, which fortunately happens very rarely. I think it’s the combination of being quite long and the main bridge deck being quite high. It always strikes me that it wouldn’t take much to go flying off across the barricade into the water, especially if hit by a large vehicle. It also isn’t reassuring that the bridge is sometimes closed due to high winds, presumably because it’s so high and open that vehicles with large side surface areas could lose control in high winds blowing across the bridge. I hate that thing.
I ascended to the top of Perry’s monument when I was 11, but I don’t remember the stairs. All I remember is the view of southernmost Canada from up there.
Speaking of enclosed spaces, I got the chance to step inside the world’s largest geode near there (was that Kellys Island or Put-In-Bay? I always confuse them). It didn’t set off claustrophobia because the geological magic on view was too entrancing.
Speaking of geology, the Strait of Messina convergent plate boundary is very scary and the Messinese people still recall 1908 with dread… When the next big one hits, there is no bridge that can survive it, don’t kid yourselves. It will be destroyed.
Aw, c’mon @mixdenny, it’s only 37 steps 
I’m kidding; I could probably visit the inside but I would not like to live in view of it. Tall things like that are nightmare fuel for me.
Anyway, thanks everyone who explained the mechanics and perils, etc. Reading it, my reaction was “what’s the big deal?” I think I’d walk across more readily than drive.
I’ve crossed that bridge a few times, and I agree: a passenger car, SUV, or even a pickup truck, won’t be able to see over the side. It’s like driving through an open-to-the-sky tunnel. Sounds weird, but that’s pretty much what it is.
Then, there was the time I crossed it during a storm. High winds, heavy rain, and the toll-taker as we left PEI saying, “Yeah, I think you can make it in your SUV.” He thinks we’ll be able to make it? I was quite glad that the concrete walls at the sides of the bridge were as high as they were.
We made it safely across, but I would not have wanted to take an 18-wheeler across that bridge in that weather.
And there’s already a way to drive across it; the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Hood Canal Bridge.
This has already been pretty well covered in this thread, but bridges aren’t just about what you can see. Conditions under the water dictate what you can build. Just east of Seattle is Lake Washington. It’s only a mile-and-a-half across, which isn’t all that far. And most of the boats are recreational, so you don’t need a very high span. The problem is under the water. The lake is 200 feet deep, and at least a hundred more feet of soft soil before you get to a solid bottom, so any sort of bridge pilings aren’t going to work. The solution is a floating bridge which is anchored in place by cables. it works really well, right up until it doesn’t.
When I moved to the East Coast, I decied to rent a truck and pack everything myself. My route took me over the Mackinac Bridge. I’m generally okay with height and bridges, but the seating position in the truck was higher than cars and even SUVs. It was a little disconcerting to be up so high and not see the guard rails in my peripheral vision.
Two of the 3 biggest floating bridges in the state of Washington are examples.Hood Canal bridge and Lake Washington bridge. The Evergreen Point bridge (also over Lake Washington) is supposedly the longest floating bridge in the world. It had some incidents but no actual sinkings (either the old or new one). I have driven across the old one when there’s a stiff southern wind. There were waves breaking against the bridge and landing on my car. Scary.
BTW, having a drawbridge in the middle of a floating bridge is a neat engineering trick.
Given the boat traffic and currents, definitely not an option for Italy.
Note that yet another big transit project in the USA currently underway (as of April of this year) is a high speed rail line from Las Vegas to LA.
That’s the Crystal Cave & winery at Put in Bay. I’ve been there several times but not on the last few trips. It’s not very big even in the center but it is cool.
I came here to say this. I’ve driven that Confederation Bridge. It’s about 7-8 miles. But it’s not a suspension bridge, while this one will be. That’s a whole different ballgame.
According to wiki the longest suspension bridge main span is about 1¼ miles, on the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkiye.
Well, it is Italy after all.
But in all seriousness their Autostrade is fabulous in many places, crossing mountain ranges with tunnels and bridges, and more timeless and more bridges
One of the big changes in bridge design between the 1950s and now is the height (and strength) of the sidewalls.
They’re now designed so people in ordinary SUVs and pick-up trucks, much less cars, can’t even see over them. Prevents rubbernecking, greatly reduces felt crosswinds, and all but ensures any accident involving those vehicles is contained on the roadway and can’t go over the side; there’s just not enough vertical forces available in any credible crash to hoist them that far into the air.
A very high & light semi-trailer truck, e.g. one towing an empty van, has a better view and is more exposed to the wind. Hence why bridges get closed to them early.
Older bridges were built with side guardrails much lower and with more open metal latticework. And are legitimately more dangerous. How much that translates into “scary” is an individual matter, but it’s not baseless fear, maybe just exaggerated fear.
How about one of those trucks that transport big panes of glass, that are higher than they are wide?
We took the ferry from NB to PEI during a vacation in the early 1990’s - we were the only car on board, wedged between dozens of huge dump trailers of gravel being used to prepare the approaches for the new bridge. We were discouraged from getting out of our tiny car, and spent the trip staring up at the huge gently swaying truck bodies blocking our view on all sides…
There’s a long-ish bridge near me that I now feel anxious about crossing. Years ago, I was at the crest of the bridge when traffic came to a dead stop due to an overturned chemical truck on the other side. It took many hours before traffic flowed again, and it triggered a severe claustrophobic episode in me—boxed in on all sides, with no escape. Now, I always check the live traffic map before even heading up the on-ramp. If it’s yellow or red, I’ll either take another route or just turn back home.
Oops! I guess I have a “tourist’s postcard” image in my mind.
The Mafia would have easier access to contacts involving offloading goods from ships, suddenly able compete with the mainland port(s).
ETS: As far as the question in the OP, no freaking way. Walk? 3 km? On purpose? It is to laugh.
Three km is not that far to walk. Less than two miles, so maybe half an hour or so. Add in some more distance/time to get up to and down from the span (the span is 3 km, the entire bridge would be longer) so maybe double that. I wouldn’t have any problem walking that. I’d rather bicycle it, but walking is not out of the question.
I’m under no delusion that it is. It’s still farther than I’m going to voluntarily perambulate.
I like to walk for exercise. And i like bridges. If it had a secure sidewalk for pedestrians, and i was in the area, i would certainly do it.
We just got back from Paris. Over four and a half days, we walked about 42 km. That’s just how it’s done here.
3-4 years ago I was in San Francisco and walked over and back across the Golden Gate bridge. Very scenic. It was a sunny day with a stiff cool breeze, so ideal for a brisk walk to stay warm without sweating from the exertion.
I’m glad I did it, but the noise from the dense roaring 6 lanes of ~50mph traffic a few feet away pounding on the bridge deck utterly ruined the ambience. There was enough of a vehicle barrier I wasn’t concerned for my safety. But Gaaah! The Noise!! The unceasing stupid Noise!!
Walking on a bridge closed to high speed car traffic would be pleasant. This was … less so.