Visitors to Germany's Harz Mountains will now be able to walk along the world's biggest pedestrian suspension bridge. The record-breaking structure stretches more than 450 meters across the Rappbode Dam.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K.D. Gabbert
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The bridge, dubbed the "Titan-RT," was officially opened to the public at a ceremony near the central German town of Oberharz am Brocken on Sunday.
With a suspended length of 458 meters (1,502 feet), it overtakes the 439-meter SkyPark bridge in Sochi, Russia, as the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world.
The imposing structure stretches some 100 meters above the waters of Germany's highest reservoir, the Rappbode Dam, and is built to undulate with shifts in weight and movement.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. D. Gabbert
The opening follows almost five years of planning and construction.
"It's a sense of resolution, because it took so long," Maik Berke, owner of bridge operator Harzdrenalin, told regional broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk.
"It is the longest suspension bridge of its kind … my greatest hope is that people leave the bridge with a smile on their face."
Image: Imago/C. Grube
The cable construction, with a pulling force of 947 tons, is anchored in slate rock on both sides of the Rappbode valley.
Harzdrenalin said daredevils will have the option of doing a 75-meter pendulum jump from the structure. A new visitor center is also being built at the site.
Building bridges
On December 25, motorists will be able to cross the Qingshui river in China over a new bridge that will cut travel time in half. DW takes a look at a number of bridge engineering feats around the world.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Xinhua/Wu Dongjun
The world's second highest
The Qingshui suspension bridge will be 1,332 feet (406m) high and 3,710 feet (1,130m) long. The only bridge taller than it will be the Sidu River Bridge in Hubei province, also in China. It has a height of 1,627feet (496m). The Qingshui Bridge will cut the driving distance from Guiyang to Weng'an county from 100 miles (160 km) to 23 miles.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Link to neighboring counties
The Qinghui Bridge cost 239 million dollars (216 million euros) and took two years to build. It will greatly improve transportation links between the provincial capital of Guiyang and neighboring counties.
Image: Imago/Xinhua
Öresund bridge
Another spectacular bridge is this one: the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe, connecting Copenhagen in Denmark and the Swedish city of Malmö. The Öresund bridge runs nearly 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the Swedish coast to the artificial island of Peberholm in Denmark.
Image: picture alliance / Tetzlaft/Helga Lade
Connecting Europe and Asia Minor
The Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, connects Europe with Asia and soars to a height of 165 m (541 ft). This suspension bridge was competed in 1973. Every October, the annual Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon crosses the bridge on its way from Asia to Europe. During the marathon, the bridge is closed to vehicle traffic.
Image: STR/AFP/Getty Images
Tabiat bridge in Tehran
It is the largest pedestrian overpass in Iran. The 270 meter (890 ft) bridge connects two public parks by spanning the Shahid Modares, one of the main highways in northern Tehran. The word "tabiat" means "nature" in the Persian language. The bridge has won several awards.
Image: MEHR
Verrazano Bridge in New York
The Verrazano Narrows Bridge connects the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. The bridge is named after the Florentine explorer, Giovanni da Verrazzano, whose name is misspelled on the bridge. Verrazzano was the first European to sail into New York Bay and the Hudson River in the early 16th century.
Image: Getty Images
The bridge of bridges
When thinking of bridges, one, in particular, stands out as iconic: At 1,280 meters long and 227 meters high, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco may not be the longest or highest, but it is certainly one of the most majestic. It spans the mouth of San Francisco Bay, connecting the city to Marin County to the north.
