A strange curve that seems to end in nothing, a springboard, a launching pad. This is what the bridge that has been nicknamed the “Ponte degli Ubriachi” looks like, probably designed and built by someone not too sober. Yet the bridge in question is an exceptional, original construction.
The BRIDGE OF DRUNKS: it seems to make you take a leap into thin air
To add suspense to anyone crossing the bridge, it is on one of the most dangerous roads in the world. The question then arises: do the cars that run through it really end up in nothing?
#A very tight curve that ends in nothing
Storseisundet Bridge
In Norway, on the Atlantic Ocean Road, you come across a bridge that seems to make you jump into the void. It is called Storseisundet Bridge and connects the Romsdal peninsula with the island of Averøya. The infrastructure is 260 meters long and 23 meters high, but its peculiarity is that an optical illusion makes it seem that the bridge stops in a very tight curve and then ends up in nothing. It was the locals who nicknamed it “bridge of the drunks” and the reason is easy to guess: the bridge seems to walk very wrong.
As mentioned, however, it is all an optical illusion, the cars arrive safe and sound at the end of the bridge and also at the end of the road. Yes, because the bridge is the longest of the eight on the Atlantic Ocean Road, a Norwegian scenic road built between rocks and islets. However, the Atlantic Ocean Road has been classified as the most dangerous road in the world, this is because, in the event of adverse weather conditions, the strong wind and heavy storms would make driving challenging.
#A stormy construction
The bridge was inaugurated in July 1989 and was a toll road for 10 years. It took about 6 years to build the bridge, a short time considering that in the meantime the workers had to face 12 hurricanes and unmanageable weather conditions. Yet the bridge of the drunks was up and with an investment of 22 million Norwegian crowns (equal to just over 2 million and 100 thousand euros) it was finally completed.
ALESSANDRO VIDALI
(Original article by Beatrice Barazzetti)
