The Nordhordlandsbrua crosses the Salhusfjord between Bergen and the island of Flatøy. It is not a conventional bridge: the fjord below is too deep for pillars, so engineers built a floating pontoon bridge instead. Ten steel pontoons sit on the surface, anchored only at both ends. The pontoon section stretches 1,246 metres, making this one of only two pontoon bridges in Norway.
The southern end is a cable-stayed bridge with a single 99-metre H-pylon. Together, the two sections span 1,614 metres. The bridge opened in 1994 after three years of construction, though plans had existed since the 1960s.
The pontoons are not bolted rigidly in place. They are connected with flexible plates that allow the bridge to move with the tide. If you stop and look carefully, you can sometimes see the road surface shift slightly. It is a strange feeling, driving on water.
The southern end is a cable-stayed bridge with a single 99-metre H-pylon. Together, the two sections span 1,614 metres. The bridge opened in 1994 after three years of construction, though plans had existed since the 1960s.
The pontoons are not bolted rigidly in place. They are connected with flexible plates that allow the bridge to move with the tide. If you stop and look carefully, you can sometimes see the road surface shift slightly. It is a strange feeling, driving on water.
