Roads to Nowhere: Abandoned, Ruined and Unfinished Bridges
July 7, 2009 by James Bent - 13 Comments
Bahia Honda Bridge
The Bahia Honda Rail Bridge is a scenic bridge in the lower Florida Keys connecting Bahia Honda Key with Spanish Harbor Key. Originally part of the Overseas Railway, the State of Florida purchased it after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and converted it to automobile use (as part of the Overseas Highway in 1938. After a replacement Bahia Honda Bridge was opened in 1972, two sections of the Rail Bridge were removed, but the rest remain standing. 


Abandoned highway
Abandoned highway bridge near Borovsko, Czech republic:



Cape Town, South Africa




East Saint Louis, Illinois

Montreal, Canada:

Unfinished bridge in Florida:

Abandoned Cross-Atlantic Bridge
This bridge was planned to connect Smith Point Campground on Long Island, USA to La Costa da Morte beach in Spain. Total length 3200 miles. Unfortunately the progress in construction was slower than dune erosion. The main part of the bridge had been destroyed during 2005 hurricane season.

Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Kinzua Viaduct
The Kinzua Viaduct is believed to be the second highest viaduct on the North American continent. The center of the historic 103-year-old structure was destroyed by a tornado in 2003.




“The Half-Bridge of Hope” (Russia)
Absolutely absurd, creative installation in the heart of Russia: “The Half-Bridge of Hope”



New Jersey Bridge


by andipantz
Hoover Dam (Nevada)

The James “Sunny Jim” Rolph Bridge, aka The Bay Bridge
Actually, the western span of the bridge is being rebuilt to make it earthquake proof. In order to connect the new span to the existing roadway (which tunnels through Yerba Buena Island), a separate temporary bridge is being built to divert the traffic.

Azerbaijan (Caucasus)
“The real bridge to nowhere” (and from nowhere)

Half-ruined Bridge in Lebanon
This Italian built bridge, which is said to be the highest in the Middle East, was targeted repeatedly – and successfully – by Israeli missiles that finally succeeded in bringing half of it down.

Bridge That Ends, Saint Louis Missouri

The Opiki Suspension Bridge:

Pierreville, Quebec (Canada)

Ore Docks, Duluth, Minnesota
Dock No. 6 was constructed from 1907-1909 and was the first steel ore dock built on the Great Lakes.

Washington Park Arboretum:

Big Four Bridge
Big Four Bridge (built 1895), a 770 m single track railroad bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, which was abandoned in 1968 and had both its approach spans removed and sold for scrap the following year.



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Reader Comment
mel (July 8th, 2009, 06:24 am)
Bridges are one of the most overlooked pieces of brilliant architechture- thank you for the time and the eye. M.
Lemmo (July 8th, 2009, 06:58 am)
Some of these on the list are fantastic, but some aren’t a good fit. The ore docks in Duluth are just that – docks. They jut out in a row behind a levy, and barges still dock to them. They’re far from unfinished or off to nowhere.
They still look awesome, though. All in all, good job on the list.
Dave (July 8th, 2009, 07:58 am)
Nice indeed. brings back memories of goog holidays.
Dave (July 8th, 2009, 08:00 am)
oh, blast, I guess I goodle so much, I can’t typ “good” anymore. Sorry.
Brad (July 8th, 2009, 01:50 pm)
The destruction of the Kinzua Viaduct was such a loss. I remember as a kid walking and riding the train over that bridge. I used to walk across the bridge, and wondering if my little feet were going to fall through the wood slats. Then we used to hike back across the ravine to the other side. So sad that its gone. It was truly a national treasure.
chRIs (July 8th, 2009, 01:54 pm)
What about avignon?
bob (July 8th, 2009, 02:30 pm)
The Kinzua Viaduct is truly amazing. I visited the bridge in 2006 three years after the toronado and it was amazing to see the damage of the tornado coming across the ridge that culminated in the destruction of the bridge.
To see the metal twisted and laying on the ground is still a sight to behold.
Kapitan Bomba (July 11th, 2009, 03:27 am)
A pierdolić te mosty, nierobom nie chcialo sie ich skończyć i jebać to
allie (July 11th, 2009, 06:51 pm)
The first two pictures freak me out SO much! I have reoccurring dreams where I’m on a bridge over water that abruptly ends and I drive into the water and those pictures about made me piss myself!
Wojtek (July 15th, 2009, 08:00 am)
A Kaliningrad/Rosja??
gus (July 16th, 2009, 10:53 pm)
What about the Hopewell project in Bangkok, Thailand – surely the largest unfinished abandoned road building in the world
link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_Elevated_Road_and_Train_System
For sure, freeways? | Andrew Boraine (April 10th, 2010, 08:56 am)
[...] we’re in good company! See Roads to Nowhere, a list of abandoned, ruined and unfinished highways and bridges around the world. More examples [...]
Ivo Celestino (June 14th, 2010, 04:08 pm)
Hi
Amazing to see how massive contruction efforts are abruptly ended and remain as icons of the modern world’s excesses.
What would be very interesting is to find out how and why these bridges have actually been stopped. What are the reasons that these massive construction efforts were stopped.
Does anyone know the real stories behind them? Would love to find out.
Ivo Celestino
South Africa
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