Elevated Interchanges, Tall Bridges, etc etc

[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?

[schoeney]

This one is on the coast. When the wind is howling (most of the time) it can get me to pucker.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...d=0CCgQMygEMAQ

[mick56]

That look's as much a rollercoaster ride as a bridge,i would'nt want to ride it in a high sided van on a windy day

[OldSchool]

The Florida mates may recognize this bridge. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg. I got vertigo just watching the cars going up and down it. By the way, part of this bridge collapsed in May of 1980 when a ship/barge hit one of its piers.

[MAS Tequila]

The current Skyway was built after the 1st one was hit by the ship.

It opened in 1987, the 1st was built in 1954 and was struck by the Summit Venture.

MT

Originally Posted by OldSchool

The Florida mates may recognize this bridge. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg. I got vertigo just watching the cars going up and down it. By the way, part of this bridge collapsed in May of 1980 when a ship/barge hit one of its piers.

[mick56]

Originally Posted by OldSchool

The Florida mates may recognize this bridge. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg. I got vertigo just watching the cars going up and down it. By the way, part of this bridge collapsed in May of 1980 when a ship/barge hit one of its piers.

Jesus,that's going to pucker anyone arse,does anyone know what gradient that is, how tall and wide ect. What happen's if a fully loaded truck break's down on it,i reckon it would have a job to hold itself on it's brake's alone.

[mick56]

Here's a shot from a different angle,not quiet so bad as it first appear's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshin...Skyway_ALB.jpg

[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

[HwyRider]

The largest bridge that we have in New England is the Tobin bridge. It spans 2 miles and is 135 feet high.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobin_Bridge

Driving on the elevated highways is something that you get use to or avoid and go around. Driving on a small draw bridge can make someone nervous if they've never had a bike on one. They tend to bounce and sway. The tires like the grooves in the draw bridge. A draw bridge is more dangerous when it's wet and you have to slam your brakes on. Most people avoid a draw bridge not because of the bridge riding condition but because there is likely to be an opening with a boat passing through. If that happens you will be sitting there in traffic for a while.

I think Texas has the highest elevated highway system.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by HwyRider

Most people avoid a draw bridge not because of the bridge riding condition but because there is likely to be an opening with a boat passing through. If that happens you will be sitting there in traffic for a while.

Hey, didn't that happen to us on the way to Old Saybrook?

[dgconstable]

We have this one.. It's called the Confederation Bridge..

It's the longest bridge in the world over ice covered waters. We have to travel this to leave our Island.

Most of it is 131 feet off the water with the navigation span in the middle running 197 feet off the water.

It is no cake walk on a windy day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederation_Bridge

[HwyRider]

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

[HwyRider]

Originally Posted by BigRed

Hey, didn't that happen to us on the way to Old Saybrook?

It did. Living around Boston and the seacoast areas I try to look for a signs that say there is a scheduled bridge opening.

[MJ07Nomad]

I ride just north of NYC and on the GW bridge there are many ramps like that here. Once I was down in S. TX and riding down there went on many ramps like you. What I do on bridges is stay in the left of my lane, pick a lane close has I can to the center and just look ahead of me, not too far, like looking for pot holes, and just hope it goes OK, I do keep staying to myself, You never saw anyone blow off or go over the side and on very windy days have been known to ask God for help. On the ramps I try to think about controlling the bike and just how good I just did, trying to build up my "I just did 30 feet of this ramp" You got this, kind of thing. After 30 years of riding I still feel better not going on those types of ramps or bridges unless there is no other way.

[mick56]

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

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