15 of the World's Weirdest Bridges

Eshima Ohashi Bridge, Japan

The roller coaster-like Eshima Ohashi bridge, located in the Chugoku region of Honshu, Japan, has a gradient of 6.1 percent on one side and 5.1 percent on another. It spans one mile across Lake Nakaumi linking cities of Matsue and Sakaiminato.

Dragon Bridge, Vietnam

The Dragon Bridge, which spans the River Han in Da Nang, Vietnam, was built in the shape of a dragon and designed to 'breathe' fire every night at 9 p.m.

Island in the Mur, Austria

Two footbridges and an artificial 'island' built in the shape of a seashell connect the two banks of the Mur river in Graz, Austria. The island holds a cafe, children's playground and even a amphitheater.

Rolling Bridge, England

The Rolling Bridge at Paddington Basin, London is the only one of its type known to be in existence. When extended, it resembles a typical steel and timber footbridge. When retracted to allow the passage of boats, the bridge curls up until its two ends join, forming an octagonal shape.

Bridge extended

Lego Bridge, Germany

The Lego Bridge in Wuppertal, Germany is actually a concrete beam bridge repainted in 2011 in the style of Lego bricks by graffiti and street artist Martin Heuwold.

Living Root Bridges, India

Members of the Khasi tribe have trained the 'living root bridges' of Meghalaya, India to grow from the roots of ancient rubber trees, native to the northeast region. The bridges are tangles of massive thick roots, which have been intermingled to form a bridge that can hold several people at a time.

Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain, South Korea

The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain is a two-tiered bridge spanning the Han River in Seoul. It is the world's longest bridge fountain, lined with 380 water jets that shoot around 190 tons of recycled river water per minute. It also features an array of multi-colored lights.

Slauerhoffbrug, Netherlands

Also known as the 'Flying Drawbridge,' the Slaurhoffbrug is a movable bridge in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands that uses two arms to swing a section of the road in and out of place to let ships through.

Moses Bridge, Netherlands

The 'sunken' Moses Bridge, designed by RO & AD Architects, is part of Fort De Roovere near Halsteren, Netherlands and is named as such because it literally parts the waters that surround the fort, allowing pedestrians to pass through.

Henderson Waves Bridge, Singapore

Singapore's Henderson Waves Bridge, which resembles the form of waves or an undulating snake, stands nearly 120 feet above the road, making it the highest pedestrian bridge in the country. It was built to connect three parks.

Gateshead Millennium Bridge, England

The Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian and cyclist bridge spanning the River Tyne in England, is the world's first and only tilting bridge. Two large hydraulic rams at each side tilt the structure back allowing boats to pass under. It takes approximately four minutes to rotate the weight of the structure to its fully open position.

Øresund Bridge, Sweden and Denmark

Øresund Bridge crosses Øresund strait to link Sweden and Denmark. It runs nearly 5 miles from the Swedish coast to the artificial island, beginning as a cable-stayed bridge and ending as a tunnel in the artificial island of Peberholm, which lies in the middle of the strait.

Python Bridge, Netherlands

One of the most unusual bridges in Amsterdam, the Python Bridge has a red snake-like shape and spans the canal between Sporenburg and Borneo Island. It was built in 2001 and won the International Footbridge Award in 2002.

Falkirk Wheel, Scotland

The Falkirk Wheel is the world's only first and only rotating boat lift used to connect the Forth & Clyde and Union canals in central Scotland.

Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge, Brazil

The Octavio Frias de Oliveira bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in São Paulo, Brazil over the Pinheiros River. The bridge deck is unusual due to its form, which is similar to an 'X,' crossing at the tower. At the end of December lights are put up on the cables and illuminated to create color effects like those on a Christmas tree.

Source: http://www.weather.com/travel/news/weirdest-bridges-world-photos-20140730