What was up with the swaying belle isle bridge today?

Submitted by jjs6067 t3_z5qy8o in rva

I was on the belle isle walking bridge this afternoon and that shit was swaying like I never experienced. It actually threw off my equilibrium at times. And no real wind to speak of.

Has that happened before? I’d like to think it’s safe and is engineered by design, but it was damn freaky.

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DeviantAnthro t1_ixxnwwd wrote

That one Best Friend's Day on Browns Island...

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55V35lM t1_ixxnxzl wrote

Fully loaded trucks above… maybe… that’s all I got

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RammmITTT t1_ixxq404 wrote

It's part of the quality control, designed to toss drunk rednecks off. It just doesn't work as well as it should. When you're over there have a look around.

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ComprehensiveSail154 t1_ixxqmvh wrote

Terrified of heights. Not a fan when that bridge sways - but there’s no better place or feeling in Richmond than standing on that bridge and overlooking the water/skyline/sunset. Love RVA and the James River park system.

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_sarten t1_ixxsg4s wrote

I was pulled over on the Lee Bridge many years ago for "breaking traction" ( sqealing wheels ) turning onto the bridge coming out of OH. I was going slow. What the man heard was a wailing guitar on the radio. He aked me to do a sobriety test there on that bridge. As I was looking 60' down over the railing on the sidewalk, I said no way. Then, a truck came by and slamed on the brakes right beside us. The bridge gave a good heave ho. I reminded the officer of the concept of " neutral ground." He had no idea what that was until the day of court, the day the prosecutor dropped the charge.

I had researched the bridges type and construction. It is supposed to move. It is engineered to move. It sits on saddles and has expansion joints.

¡Thank you! to the driver of that truck!

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TripawdCorgi t1_ixynh5l wrote

We've been on it once when it was moving all over the place. We figured it was a combo of the wind and we heard a lot of trucks overhead. Ended up getting off our bikes to walk them over because it was too sketch.

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fractalflatulence t1_ixyq6b5 wrote

Perhaps you noticed it’s suspended by cables?

It’s normal

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RufusDelgado t1_ixyvfvk wrote

The only time I've experienced that was the last slaughterama. There were so many people going back and forth it was swaying constantly. Couldnt walk straight when I got off for a bit. Was there an abnormally large amount of people on it?

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Thin-Recover1935 t1_ixzbtev wrote

It sways like a motherfucker during the 5K during Riverrock. Everyone’s footfalls puts into motion and it feels like being back at sea with the deck moving underneath you.

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ImplementEven1196 t1_ixzfbod wrote

A couple months ago I thought I was losing my balance / equilibrium. It was the bridge swaying. My wife felt it too. We’re on it all the time as we walk from our house in Woodland Heights and this was the first time we felt it sway to that degree.

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moto68040 t1_iy0imd8 wrote

once walked across while on lsd, felt like the whole thing was a giant treadmill

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