No federal, state, or local taxes were used to construct the Bridge (Image: Getty)
A gigantic steel suspension bridge conneting a state from east to West is known to be the world’s most blood-curling bridges to cross.
The massive structure spans the Chesapeake Bay, connecting rural and Eastern shore region with its urban and suburban western shore.
It took a period of three and a half years to construct, and was finally opened to traffic on July 30th 1952.
The architectural marvel held the record for the world’s longest continuous overwater steel structure at the time.
A second span was added in 1973, extending the total length of the bridge to 8.6 miles.
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The bridge towering with beautiful sunset behind (Image: Getty)
The structure’s world record however wasn’t the reason it gained such fast popularity, but more so for its fearsome reputation.This was due to the bridge’s mind-numbing heights, disconcerting narrowness and worryingly low guard rails.
Even more, the frequent high winds whipping across the bridge pose a challenge for even the most seasoned drivers.All of these fears combined caused a wave of gephyrophobia.
Gephyrophobia is where someone can have an extreme and irrational fear of crossing bridges or going in tunnels. For some individuals, the fear is so intense that they resort to paying others to drive their cars across the bridge.
This reputation however hasn’t stopped the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from being a key way of connecting communities across the state of Maryland.
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The bridge peaking through a cloud of fog (Image: Getty)
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge in fornt of a beautiful moonrise (Image: Getty)
The ferry system couldn’t keep up with the escalating volume of traffic.
experts decided that the only permanent solution was to replace the ferry system with one of the boldest projects ever undertaken – Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Communities on both sides of the harbour have grown thanks to the bridge, which is regarded as an essential component of Maryland’s infrastructure.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge was constructed to connect Maryland’s eastern and western shores.
By linking the agricultural districts on the eastern side with the metropolitan areas on the western bank, the bridge was viewed as a means of enhancing trade and business.
As the bridge made it simpler for visitors to reach the beaches and recreational activities, it greatly increased tourism to the Eastern Shore.
Before the bridge, people had to use ferries to cross the bay, which may be inconvenient and slow, particularly in bad weather. In 1956 there was significant growth in the Tidewater area and increased travel and commerce across the East Coast.
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