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- The world’s scariest bridges are known for their steep slopes and stomach-churning heights.
- Some bridges that may look terrifying are actually relatively safe to cross, like the Sidu River Bridge in China.
- Others, like the U Bein Bridge in Myanmar, may be on the verge of collapse.
On the morning of August 14, a fierce thunderstorm struck the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy, sending the decades-old structure tumbling to the ground.
In the years leading up to the collapse, engineers had warned that the bridge might not be structurally sound, but the timing was ill-fated. Just as the bridge’s maintenance company began to embark on repairs, the storm derailed their efforts.
Read more: 7 of the most dangerous roads in the world
Determining whether a bridge is "safe" is a complicated question. In the United States, one of out every ten bridges is considered "structurally deficient," meaning it’s in need of significant maintenance or repair. That includes the Brooklyn Bridge, which carries more than 100,000 vehicles each day.
While it’s difficult to tell if a bridge is dangerous just by looking at it, a few bridges are downright terrifying to cross no matter their stability.
We’ve rounded up some of the scariest bridges in the world, which are notable for their stomach-churning heights, rickety guardrails, and steep slopes that seem to defy engineering logic. Take a look.
To build the Langkawi Sky Bridge in Malaysia, a construction team had to lift the structure by helicopter.
Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images
At 410 feet long, it’s the longest curved bridge in the world.
It only took six months to build the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, which hovers more than 950 feet above the Arkansas River.
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Royal Gorge may have lost its title as the world’s highest bridge, but it’s still the tallest in the US.
The Cloud Bridge at Daedunsan Mountain in South Korea slopes above a narrow canyon.
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"I felt it swaying as the gusts of wind came up and wrapped around the peaks," one travel blogger wrote.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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SEE ALSO: The most structurally deficient bridge in every US state
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Aria Bendix)