anyone ever heard of the monitor-merrimac bridge-tunnel *it's amazing*

[GreyhoundGirl]

What happens when the water freezes? What happens when the tide rises? What happens if there is a storm and the water level is really high?

It's facinating! I've heard of it but never really thought about it much...

[ramanth]

What happens when the water freezes? What happens when the tide rises? What happens if there is a storm and the water level is really high?

It's facinating! I've heard of it but never really thought about it much...

Seeing as this is located in Virginia near the Atlantic Ocean, I don't think that body of water freezes very often.

Now tides, I'd be curious how they engineered around that. I imagine if a hurricane was looming, that it'd be shut down.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Living in Michigan, if you want to get to Canada it's either by bridge or by tunnel, so I'm used to it.

that is CRAZY!!! i didn't even know things like that existed (the underwater tunnels) ... i must be more sheltered than i realized.!!

I've got this fear of falling.. ... so i don't do well driving across suspended things... like that reallllly long bridge... and If I could ever make it over the bridge.. i would be afraid the construction of the tunnell would collapse and water come rushing inside.

I wonder how long it takes to get from one side of the tunnel to the other.

[Karen]

Oh, you'd be nervous all the time driving in Boston! With histroically huge in every way imaginable The Big Dig, you're either driving far above the city, or below it - which means under Boston Harbor for parts of it, and every one of the tunnels is below sea-level. Only one person has been killed by a tunnel collapse, but many people get worried driving through it.

Me, I just go blissfully through, thinking "cool tunnel!" Or "pretty bridge!" After having the entire city under detours, destruction and construction for seemingly ever, it's nice to drive on the results! Not, mind you, that it's complete or anything, but parts of it are drivable.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Oh, you'd be nervous all the time driving in Boston!

I need to get out more. I didn't realize places were set up like this... I mean i know there are bridges even looong bridges... but bridges that stretch across long bodies of water, underwater tunnels.. it is just crazy.!!! I must have been living in a hole!

[Karen]

I need to get out more. I didn't realize places were set up like this... I mean i know there are bridges even looong bridges... but bridges that stretch across long bodies of water, underwater tunnels.. it is just crazy.!!! I must have been living in a hole!

Much of Boston is now a giant huge hole!!! For a time, there were parts of the system where, when stopped in traffic, you could peer over a guardrail and down several stories into the ground below. Now it's all paved over, pretty much, but we know they are down there!

http://www.masspike.com/bigdig/background/index.html

[ramanth]

I've walked the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day and it's really cool to stand on the grated section and see the water waaaaay down below you.

Unites Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. The Mackinac Bridge is is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere with 7,400 feet of roadway suspended in the air over the straits of Mackinac. Total length of the bridge, including its approaches, is approximately five miles.

The USA/Canada tunnel in Detroit dips under the river connecting Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair and only takes a couple minutes to traverse. Not that long at all.

I've always loved bridges and tunnels.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Much of Boston is now a giant huge hole!!! For a time, there were parts of the system where, when stopped in traffic, you could peer over a guardrail and down several stories into the ground below. Now it's all paved over, pretty much, but we know they are down there!

http://www.masspike.com/bigdig/background/index.html

thanks for the link... you guys have a lot going on up there!!! It looks like your city is out of a story... Atlanta seems so (constructionally simple) compared to Boston.

I would looove to visit Boston! I love you guy's accent!