@bobdobbs: I'm sorry, ghetto? Only if by 'ghetto', you mean an amazing feat of modern engineering, an elegantly simple and economic solution to a very difficult problem.

Gann

so who's gonna be the first person to BASE jump this? ...and also get away w/o being sent to Chinese whip-your-ass prison.

krystar

@bosskev: That would be the boxer rebellion. Has nothing to do with box.

boxer = kung-fu fighter.

Noobs-R-Us

@Ibelieveinsandwitches: "So when they offered up rockets to help build that bridge to nowhere, I replied "Thanks, but no thanks." Instead my husband Todd powered his snowmobile fast up a ramp, leapt across the gorge and landed on the other side, planting that cable like a true MAVERICK. You betcha!" -Sarah Palin's Cooter

MelanieScipio

@Curves: Which is even funnier when you consider all those driving jokes made at their expense..

Jrsy is back to being the dude, playing the dude disguised as another dude

@EVEs_Mako: "Chinese are some serious "outside the box" thinkers."

Yeah, I think culturally it all goes way back to some "Outside the Box Rebellion", or something like that.

History has never been my strong point.

bosskev

Some bridges are great. Others have greatness thruster'ed upon them...

Stem_Sell

So this is where they moved the bridge to nowhere.

The design of the bridge is great, and the shear height of it is amazing, but you would think they would put it somewhere that people might actually get a chance to use it (or even see it). this thing looks like its in the middle of nowhere.

Ibelieveinsandwitches

@jaydez: It would be stupid to use lead in a... ohhh.. I see what you did there.

highfloydelity

@Curves: "They apparently had good aim."

Well, actually, this was their third attempt with the rockets. The first rocket took out the opposite tower, reducing it to rubble. And the second rocket, when fired off, turned out to be just a giant fireworks animated dragon--those darn Chinese pranksters!

bosskev

@Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine: @godwhacker: Damn, three posts in a row about the same thing.

COME ON FROOCH!! Give us the deets. Inquiring minds want to know!

bobojuice

Wow, that's ghetto. If the rockets didn't work, was a giant rubber-band slingshot the backup plan?

bobdobbs

@Drew draws fire from Ben Wojd...wodjyj...woldj...Ben.: Oh, yes absolutely. There's no way in hell you could pay me to *walk* across the scaffolding. Though, since the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the number of deaths related to caisson's disease and bridge building are down....something must have improved over those hundreds of years...perhaps its the scaffolding?

DigitalSciGuy

@Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine: dont gotta rub it in.

='[

bobojuice

What was that bridge building simulator?...it didnt have rockets

Stabio

The rockets came free from Russia with the purchase of advanced nuke technology.

vista64guy

what does this bridge connect?

purple-pillows

@Hestika: I don't think they have standards yet for rocket propelled construction materials.

Gann

@Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine:
heh, heh, heh

godwhacker

@DigitalSciGuy: Biking across the finished bridge is one thing, can you imagine just walking across that "scaffolding" they have there? There's that one section with nothing but a freakin' rope ladder laid across it.

No thanks, I'll wait 'til you finish to go across.

Drew draws fire from Ben Wojd...wodjyj...woldj...Ben.

@bobojuice: But at least I beat you!

Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine

@latterman:

Now I'm no engineer, but i think they don't have to twisted if they are made of lead or melamine.

jaydez

@godwhacker: Damn, beat me by mere seconds.

Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine

Doesn't look like OSHA is overseeing this project...

Hestika

Who's the guy that got the job of catching the rockets on the other side?

bobojuice

Godspeed to the guys who have to catch the cable on the other end.

Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine

who was "catching" the cables on the other side? thats film i want to see!!

godwhacker

Not steel cables it is the shaved hair of dissidents.

WrecklessRich

I guess they don't have helicopters.

pharmerchris

The dude walking across the bridge (cable), is more of a man than I ever will be. Damn.

alexmetal

@latterman: What you're seeing at this scale is a bunch of straight cables consisting of much smaller strands of twisted cable. Suspension bridges have always been built like this. From here, these cables will likely be wrapped around with more cable, followed by the cable casing.

DigitalSciGuy

Chinese are some serious "outside the box" thinkers. Me like.

EVEs_Mako

"So how do you get cables across a chasm that large to build a bridge with? Rockets, of course." I was going to say helicopters, but whatever....

VanniGreene

Whatever works I guess. They apparently had good aim.

Curves

@Munch the BanNail: I am just reminded of the Red Rocket episode of South Park with the dogs. Thanks for that....

Lokiprimary

@Gann: Also according to the Chinese they were the first humans in space when one of them strapped lots of bottlerockets to their chair and flew to the moon 1000 years ago.

Sussudio

I'd like to see what biking across it would be like...though chances are there isn't a pedestrian walk across.

DigitalSciGuy

Since that IS China, did they use red rockets?

Munch the BanNail

The Chinese did invent the rocket in the first place, right?

Gann

The large cable they installed. Is it just me, or isn't it supposed to be bundles of twisted cables, and not just a thick bundle of straight cables? All the strength comes from the twist (equal force distribution).

Then again, they did use rockets.

latterman

@Lokiprimary: I resent you for that comment. You've now reminded ME of that episode. So much for my good, clean Friday.

greatpear411

@DigitalSciGuy: Actually, with a proper harness, I wouldn't mind "walking" across.

jkbuster

Is it just me or does that bridge only look wide enough for bicycles or just one car? Thats gotta be the worlds largest bicycle bridge.

deftonesboy360

@purple-pillows: Duh.. nowhere man

Maxxofor

@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: lol Tina Fey :P

Jon B.

@Noobs-R-Us: No, no, I'm sure it was the "Think Outside the Box Rebellion". Had to be, 'cuz the Chinese conglomerate that secretly owns Taco Bell later adapted that historical incident to become their new marketing slogan. You have heard of "Think Outside the Bun", haven't you?

See? I know what I'm talking about.

* smiles smugly, victorious *

bosskev

@MelanieScipio: And now, some fancy Pageant Walkin!

Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★

@purple-pillows: One side of the chasm to the other. Duh ;)

Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★

Not Dubai?

Jon B.

@Gann: They also invented the suspension bridge and other bridges.

Noobs-R-Us

Regardless of what you might think of their methods, this is a huge step up from the zip-line they used to use.

nerdsavant

@EVEs_Mako: They've been like that for thousands of years. Don't forget, they've been the most powerful nation on earth quite a few times over the last few thousand years, unlike us who's been just once. I wonder when it's our turn to suck toes will be be able to reemerge as they are about to once again. Unfortunately, the answer is most likely, no. I can think of no other civilizations in the past except China that has been able to do this. History is littered with dead civilizations that never saw the light of day again.

Noobs-R-Us

@-kXj-: Agreed. China bashing is indeed a disgrace, something, unfortunately, my Dad did all the time. His temper was so terrible we finally had to switch to using nothing but Melamine, all the nice plates having been shattered.

bosskev

China bashing has got to stop. Seriously, thats all it seems you guys comment on. No matter how cool it is, people will bash China. I guess its the new IN thing to do.

-kXj-

@Stem_Sell: Very nice!

* adds Stem_Sell to list of "Friends" *

bosskev

@Gann:
and they did discover America b4 that crook name Columbus did, if there is such a thing as discovering a place where people are living, i wonder what the world would look like now if they did stay in North America

wetworker

I can't wait to see all that metal coated with a few thousand gallons of lead-based paint.

Iron Sheep

@highfloydelity: wait hold on now im confused . . . wait hold on is someone at the door?

bagseed

@pharmerchris: Au contraire!

[gizmodo.com]

Toshie

@Lokiprimary: Haa ha! This is the best post ever. Rockets, tallest bridge, South Park FTtrippleW!

misterwho

@greatpear411: And to complete the mental scarring:

[www.southparkstudios.com]

Toshie

China-bashing has to continue, at least until it is made illegal. I really don't understand how a totalitarian regime is not worthy of critical comment, but the US is bashed with impunity.

Keep hatin' the US, folks. That makes a lot of sense.

JDisnidiet

Who wants to drive across it? Not me. It IS made in China after all. :)

vincentw561

@alexmetal: Especially when one realizes Comcast is their 'cable' company!

Stem_Sell

@WrecklessRich: Ha! "We'll take the hyper-collosal mega weave... with highlights!"

Stem_Sell

@bosskev: @-kXj-: I agree, in general. But go to China and see it first hand. It's a mess.

Ayeco

@deftonesboy360: Take a look at the background.

Kyang

@wetworker: And to be clear, I do not believe Columbus was the first one to America. Outside of the indigenous people, there was the Vikings and Amerigo Vespucci (Amerigo/America anyone?). Which is why this is America and not Columbusa. But for some reason we choose to ignore that fact.

ThaKoolAidKid

@wetworker: Is there proof of this or is it made up like how they recently went to space but somehow had the audio before it actually happened?

ThaKoolAidKid

Dig that recycled "safety" mesh. Complete with 100% rust coverage, ten-foot gaps, and broken support timbers!

CaseyG

@bosskev: You completely lost me there....

* Sarcasm squared *

Noobs-R-Us

@bobojuice: There's a new guy everyday. Pays really well I'm sure.

cygnusx8

This is not surprising. The Chinese have been Rocket crazy ever since Yao Ming joined the NBA.

Andrewpetty

@ThaKoolAidKid: Amerigo Vespucci didn't visit the Americas before Columbus. But he was among the first to realize that the Americas were unmapped landmasses and not an extension of the Asian continent.

chargernj

I'd say the world's highest bridge, not tallest. Unless it's also the tallest.

Cool idea. Scary friggin bridge. Yay rockets.

jakemiles

hope they did their wind and resonance calculations right. thats a lot of surface area.

Bladefist

@bosskev: *Melmac, not frakkin' Melamine

* grumble, grumble *
* hates screwing up his own joke *

bosskev

@MelanieScipio: Special thanks to Joe the rocketter.

misterwho

@bobdobbs: Ghetto would have been a giant Pringles can & tennis balls. This, my friends, is uptown.

misterwho

@purple-pillows: Two mountains, duh!

misterwho

@Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine:
Like ma grand-mammy used to say, second place is good enough.

misterwho

@Toshie: I HATE you...I somehow missed that episode and now I really don't know if I can eat lunch.

Darkest Daze

@ThaKoolAidKid:

And the America name does in fact come from Amerigo, a German (Dutch maybe?) cartographer named the landmass after Vespucci's realization that the New World was not a part of Asia. The belief that Vespucci visited the America's before Columbus is demonstrably false.

gtabacchi

Hell, who needs a bridge, they should just rocket EVERY one across. That would be way cooler.

Themaestrosartori

PhotoShopped? Anyone?

The cables went across the ravine on a rocket. Fine! That is the galmour part. How did these get up there to be rocket-ed across. Maybe another rocket from the base camp, eh? There seem to be no roads leading to the either side of the bridge. What about the pillars and bringing these up to where they are planted. Oooh that rocket must have been big :) and who caught that rocket?

honk4RC

@Stabio: Pontifex?

mdhatucb

@Maxxofor: im thinking its a bridge to nowhere... just another engineering feat of china...

purple-pillows

this is not news, they did this in 2006 lol. the bridge's surface is finished as of 10/14.

sega8800

@bobojuice: nobody catches the rocket, it drops off at the designated drop zone. The whole process takes about 3 seconds.

sega8800

Wow, that is a very interesting way to construct a bridge. And for the looks of the background, this bridge will be very helpful to the people. Or at least I hope it is.

RE-L

@purple-pillows: It seems that the bridge will create a shortcut between the two mountain, it says currently the travel distance is 40km takes about 2 hour, but the direct path's distance is only 900 meters. I guess it will save a lot of times.

sega8800

I can't believe no one has said it yet, so I'll go ahead ... Photoshopped!!! :)

This is going to be the BASE jump Holy Grail once it is up. Although the penalty in China might not be worth it. I think they just take your parachute off and make you do it again if they catch you.

scotth0

@Toshie: Damn, forgot to include a reference to "getting a sandwich, hold the mayo". :-(

Toshie

@Darkest Daze: My work is done here. :-)

Toshie

@Sussudio: yes..he was a great master of kung fu...and he was a panda.

"i'm not sure how to say this mr. griffin, su-su sudio? su-sudio?"

snowbeach024

@VanniGreene: I'm pretty sure they used helicopters for the peak to peak Gondola at Whistler/Blackcomb, so I don't see why they shouldn't have used helicopters in China - much more control I'd think.

Fierock

there is nothing "ghetto" about this technique. it works and it's very cheap. helicopter fuel is VERY expensive. meanwhile i rocket this size costs almost nothing in comparison.

hanspecans

@ThaKoolAidKid:
I don't get what the big deal about that story was.
News agencies always prewrite a bunch of articles depending on the outcome... they happen to have one about them suceededing .
And the dialogue that they wrote out was something they were going to say like.
"rocket boosters on" "you are in orbit"
like .

That story about the Chinese reading America before Columbus is still debated. We know that the Chinese sent massive fleets(with massive ammounts of people on them) acorss the world (dono which parts) way befopre the Europeans did. I guess the Chinese did not have the concept of colonialism. There is insufficient conclusive evidence for the chinese, but we do know columbus did.
So for the time being, Columbus is the first, and the Chinse coul've been first ;)

gothamdarkknight

@gothamdarkknight:
It's been debated for an extremely long time lols.
But they found pyramid shaped temples that are equivalent to the ones made by the Meso-American peoples in China. Who knows? Yeah, Columbus crashed into Mid-America, but we still don't know who bumped into the left side of the continent.

Mr_LaZy

@Andrewpetty: lol

os_2

bungeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

citizen024

Haha, that's brilliant, for some reason this makes me think of Lord of The Rings, I really don't know why...

Strife56

I wanna bungy jump this bridge!!!!!

hannabach

I want to be shot across something on a missle in fact!

Faslane66

Holy Mother of Jesus!!!! I'm amazed, I would love video of this rocket propelled bad ass bridge! Amazing!

Faslane66

posts like these make me love this site, keep them coming adam

mjbyrne

Are melamine, lead, etc really relevant to this story?
Are we still saying, "You (insert ethnicity) look at all alike." Only if you are ignorant. Please be critical of China and bash all you want. Just make sure whatever you say is relevant so you don't sound like a jackass.
By the way, it's a pretty big bridge.
[www.ggj.hbjt.gov.cn]

wontonwrapper

Here's a video.
[big5.cctv.com]

wontonwrapper

@Jon B.: That sketch with her and Palin would have been great if it wasn't for Baldwin.

Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★

@Mr_LaZy: Pyramids are simple, obvious designs (hence, not patentable) and have been constructed independently by many cultures. In and of themselves, their existence in Meso-America is not proof, or even an indication, of Chinese visitation. There are other tid-bits that might give good clues, but we're not at the point of being able to prove anything yet. For this, we need more underwater archeology along the entire West coast of the Americas.

@gothamdarkknight: No, Columbus is not the first. The Vikings preceded him by a long shot, following a route with stop-overs at Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and an area they referred to as Vineland. We know that this 'Vineland' was, at the very least, the far North-East of North America (including Newfoundland?), probably past what is now Maine, and, according to some interpretations of other findings, could have extended as far as New York. I've read of some finds in Virginia and the Carolinas, but those are highly suspect. What is really interesting is that there SUPPOSEDLY were reports made by Columbus and Co (and subsequent tag-alongs) of the occasional, rare Native American of the North-East who had blond hair and/or blue eyes, a fairly clear link to the Vikings should that information be accurate.

hnkelley

Made in China

shift_nismo

Boy what a cable. Gives new meaning to cable service.

three60guy

is this bridge the "tallest" or the "highest"?

HoseHead

bridges are good for economy.

San Francisco Bay Area, Marin County has the most expensive houses in the whole bay area because there is a bridge called Golden Gate Bridge

SmallShark

What a feat of engineering.. largest dam, now the largest bridge. There like how America used to be.. Thinking Big.

-Core-

The mountainous regions actually need this kind of bridge, since there are lots of fairly tall hill/mountains close together, and driving between them is quite a bitch.

For those who mention the regime in Beijing every time something China-related comes up, growing some bloody perspective. There's a lot of things that go on in China that have nothing to do with the people on top.

Ypoknons

you'd be spewing if it fell

kongfucious0

No video? WHYYYYY!?

Bluesk1d