Elevated Interchanges, Tall Bridges, etc etc

[JD Hog]

This one is in my own back yard and I have been over it several times on the bike and never considered how high it really is. It is California's tallest bridge and the fifth tallest in the United States.

This link has several good pictures of it along with it's history.

http://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/i...esthill_Bridge

[mick56]

Seem's like the chink's have a few tall one's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_in_the_world

[lcash]

Originally Posted by BigRat

Does anyone here have trouble with driving on these insanely tall Freeway Interchanges or Similar Bridges?

I was driving in Houston this weekend and had to jump on an exceptionally tall Interchange. Luckily I was in the car. I was not aware that I was uncomfortable with them until I was heading up that ramp, and that is when the blood drained from my head and almost went into a panic attack - very nearly passed out. Hit me like a brick! Never saw it coming and had absolutely no control over it. It was a Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot moment for sure.

Anybody else deal with this? From what happened I am seriously rattled. I live in the country and don't have to deal with big-city freeway driving much, but now I am spooked about it happening on the bike. The best I could hope for in that situation would be that my extremely puckered asshole would hold me to the seat...

Aside from "walk it off" I wondered if any of you guys have dealt with this and how?

That looks like the Grand Parkway I-10 interchange about 8 miles from my house! In rush hour (more like 3hours) the speed is down to about 30-45 mph due to the scared drivers

[BigRat]

Originally Posted by lcash

That looks like the Grand Parkway I-10 interchange about 8 miles from my house! In rush hour (more like 3hours) the speed is down to about 30-45 mph due to the scared drivers

Well that is probably the ONLY time people in Houston drive under the speed limit. Jeebus, I was driving 70 in a 65 most of the time and it was like I was standing still.

I am looking forward to my next trip through there which will hopefully be... never!

[nomad ryder]

I've been over the Big Mac, the Golden Gate, the George Miller Jr bridge near Mountainview, CA and another near Big Sur, all on on a bike and in the wind. I hate the grating, makes the bike kind of squirrelly. Take a deep breath, keep your your eyes level, tell yourself it will end soon.

[OldSchool]

Here's one that will leave suction marks on the old seat.

[tonik]

Originally Posted by minst7877

The Big Mac bridge in Michigan is over 250 feet above the water at the center of the span. Wind is always blowing and the center two lanes run on steel grating so the wind also comes up from below. This can cause some real pucker moments during the crossing of the five mile span. I personally hate being on the steel grating whether it is on the bike or in the car.

In this pic you can see the grating just to my left. Motorcycle tires do not handle it well as they want to track the grating. Car tires do to but not to the extent of the bike tires. That is me on the lead bike there.

DC

Last time I went across that the cement lane was closed and it was a horrible cross wind. Trucks were banned that day. We got to the other side to pay the toll and I hear my wife yell from the back at the toll taker 'You just tried to kill us with your damn bridge and now you want money'?!?

[dank]

Originally Posted by minst7877

The Big Mac bridge in Michigan is over 250 feet above the water at the center of the span. Wind is always blowing and the center two lanes run on steel grating so the wind also comes up from below. This can cause some real pucker moments during the crossing of the five mile span. DC

Been over it many times. Don't mind the height or wind, which indeed is fearsome at times, but that metal grid gets your attention, especially if your tires have a tread groove down the center line. LIke riding on a paint shaker.

[dank]

I love the one when you go north across the Columbia River at Astoria, Oregon. Feels like you are on a roller coaster heading down to the flat across the river. WOOHOO!

[mick56]

I would rather cross any of them rather than one of these
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/river...l-35327789.jpg

http://thumb1.shutterstock.com/displ...-224261254.jpg

[dgconstable]

Originally Posted by mick56

That bridge in Louisiana is the longest in the world over water.

http://www.livescience.com/34448-wor...st-bridge.html

That would be over unfrozen water. :-)

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by HwyRider

I think the toughest bridge to drive would be the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. It's 23.83 miles long.

Pretty peaceful bridge. Most of it is less than 20' above the water and some of it is almost at water level. No real chance of falling hundreds of feet to the water. Been over that a lot.

[mick56]

Originally Posted by dgconstable

That would be over unfrozen water. :-)

You mean as opposed to ice.

[HwyRider]

Originally Posted by Monkeyman

Pretty peaceful bridge. Most of it is less than 20' above the water and some of it is almost at water level. No real chance of falling hundreds of feet to the water. Been over that a lot.

Didn't Katrina put part of it under water?

[cactusjack]

As long as there are sides on it, it doesn't bother me. They have some pretty tall flyover ramps here on the freeways in the Phoenix area. The Hoover Dam bypass is about 900' above the Colorado River, but the sides are so tall on it, you can't even tell you're on a bridge.