Check this out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4091813.stm

Why can't we Brits build things like this here? Great British architecture being built abroad. Would be great having such bridges through the Peak District to Manchester, even though they're not very high and so would be cheaper I reckon. Would be beautiful and help Sheffield's and the North's economy.

Chances of being realised: 0%.

Very nice bridge, but let's keep the Peak District the way it is!

The whole point of a National Park is that you're meant to preserve it, and there's precious little of the Peaks left to grow wild as it is.

B

Sorry mate, but that looks awful. It would be a complete eyesore, anyway theres nowt like dodging the lorries on the snake to get the old adrenalin pumpin.:hihi:

Just hope the crash barriers are strong enough to stop a lorry going over - can you imagine having a blow out.

Forget these twee photos of it emerging through the clouds.

I saw it on the news tonight and when you finally saw a longshot without the mist it was frightening.

You are looking at something like crossing over the whole of Sheffield city from Manor Top to the top of the Ski Slopes.

Don't forget that the architect involved was also involved in the famous shaking Millenium Footbridge at Greenwich.

I wonder if there will be a profit margin for Eiffage with 75 years worth of toll receipts compared to a 394m euros cost to build the bridge.

Well, cutting the journey time to the south coast, by car, by four hours - and with, probably, tens of thousands of cars a day I think they are onto a winner.

Its a beaut too. Like the Pont du Normandie, only twice the height and seven times the length. Wow.

Originally posted by cgksheff
Don't forget that the architect involved was also involved in the famous shaking Millenium Footbridge at Greenwich. It was Arup who were the consulting engineers though.

If it's tens of thousands a day as Phan suggests then yeah they are going to make a killing, work it out from the prices on the BBC website - even factoring in for costs of running it etc. looks like it will make a fair bit.

Even if not a bridge, I personally think the roads to Manchester need improving and upgrading to Motorway status. It would improve the economy greatly, cut journey times etc. I don't think it would do the Peaks so much harm, either declare the stretch of M'Way there no longer national park or achieve a special dispensation. Man has been forming the landscape for ever. Don't forget the Peaks were covered in trees over athousand years ago until deforestation was brought about by man. A new road with good engineering design would be very welcome.

I saw that bridge a few months ago when they were putting the finishing touches to it, its absolutely amazing to look at, took tons of photos.

But, this country is different geographically to France. As has become apparent it is going to be very difficult if not impossible for us to road build our way out of traffic congestion.

Originally posted by fhain29
Even if not a bridge, I personally think the roads to Manchester need improving and upgrading to Motorway status. It would improve the economy greatly, cut journey times etc. I don't think it would do the Peaks so much harm, either declare the stretch of M'Way there no longer national park or achieve a special dispensation. Man has been forming the landscape for ever. Don't forget the Peaks were covered in trees over athousand years ago until deforestation was brought about by man. A new road with good engineering design would be very welcome.

There's the M62 and that goes over the Peaks. I don't think it would be acceptable to destory so much beauty for yet another motorway.

Can you imagine the outcry??
No one wants phone masts or wind farms near their houses let alone a huge concrete bridge.

taking the m62 from sheffield to manchester doubles the journey length and makes no different to the journey time.

the way forwards is surely a 4 lane supermotorway in a big tunnel under the peak district.
Motorists happy, tick.
Environmentalist happy (as they get), tick.

I shudder at even the thought of a bridge in the peak district, thats the first thing i look forward to after landing at manchester airport is the drive over to sheff, i don't even care what the weathers like that morning, and it's always early AM, it's a real pleasure.

Originally posted by Dick Dastardly
There's the M62 and that goes over the Peaks. I don't think it would be acceptable to destory so much beauty for yet another motorway.

The M62 doesn't go over the Peaks, it goes over the Pennines north of the Peaks and South of the Dales. And yet another motorway? The UK has the fewest motorways of major EU country with the exception of Poland (but they don't count!).

The Alps are full of bridges, beautiful bridges. The Pyrenees are full of bridges. Those mountains are so musch higher than the peaks (which are small hills at the end of the day). But I like the idea of a tunnel! (The Alps are full of those too).

The fact is and remains that the traffic links between Manchester and Sheffield, two major population centres) are a disgrace. No Intercity train connections, no motorway, no dual carriageway. Infrastructure has to do with economic development, long term growth and prosperity. And what do Sheffield people do? Be content with the status quo but moan about Leeds getting all the growth and jobs. Why? Because from the North, South, East and West you can get there easily, efficiently, and fast. And how do you get to Sheffield after arriving a winter evening in Manchester? Snake closed. Woodhead closed. M62 and then M1, doubling journey time. Stopping train at 30 mph through Hope Valley with two vandalised waggons not running, bus instead to New Mills and then to Sheff. Journey time over three hours. Business man from US not pleased, decides to invest and build his call centre or chip factory or whatever somewhere else. And who can blame him?

I used to have to travel to manchester as part of my work, at least 3-6 times a month and it used to wind me up no end how bad the roads between the two cities are. It's true that the scenery has it's moments but so did the M62's moorland. If the two cities were in an other developed country as rich as England then there would be no hesitation in making a high capacity road between the two places. If in Switzerland, there would be a tunnel, in France or Germany a motorway.

I think that some people are kidding themselves a little about the picturesque nature of the route between sheffield and manchester. Along the snake pass the most impressive bits are the dark brooding hills and desolate high misty summit which makes your ears pop. There is also the massive concrete viaducts at ladybower. A horrid quarry which looks like a massive bite out of a hillside. upstream of ladybower is a grotty muddy swamp. And a section of bare hillside where hundreds of trees have been cleared in a hurry for some reason.

Another thing is the once picture postcard villages of Bamford, Hathersage etc.. are now reduced to bottleneck chicaines with lorries thundering through day and night. It would be much better to have a bypass road or tunnel which left these villages to revert to a quieter life, which joined up to the M67.

Well having traveled to Manchester on Friday on the M62 because of the snow blocked snake I came to the conclusion that a Sheffield - Manchester motorway is sooo long overdue in our modern world. It is true that any other country would just get on with it, and probably make a fabulous route in the process.

Originally posted by fhain29
Even if not a bridge, I personally think the roads to Manchester need improving and upgrading to Motorway status. It would improve the economy greatly, cut journey times etc.

I think the lack of a decent road from Sheffield to Manchester is in some way linked to the decline of Sheffield.

I leave my house, get onto a nice 70mph dual carriageway that takes me into the heart of Manchester - although I join the M60 at J14 and go around the 4 / 5 line ring road motorway onto the M67. I then go back to what seems like the 1950's and crawl along at 30-40mph behind sunday drivers or lorries across the Woodhead or Snake to Sheffield. It's an absolute pain and puts me right off coming over.

The M62 is all well and good but it doesn't take you direct to Sheffield - you still have to travel 30 miles down the M1.

They could even make this new motorway with tolls every 10 miles.

Or if your a cheap skate you can persist with the snake pass. :D

There's only me that likes the Snake then yeah? :D

Originally posted by muddycoffee
I used to have to travel to manchester as part of my work, at least 3-6 times a month and it used to wind me up no end how bad the roads between the two cities are. It's true that the scenery has it's moments but so did the M62's moorland. If the two cities were in an other developed country as rich as England then there would be no hesitation in making a high capacity road between the two places. If in Switzerland, there would be a tunnel, in France or Germany a motorway.

I think that some people are kidding themselves a little about the picturesque nature of the route between sheffield and manchester. Along the snake pass the most impressive bits are the dark brooding hills and desolate high misty summit which makes your ears pop. There is also the massive concrete viaducts at ladybower. A horrid quarry which looks like a massive bite out of a hillside. upstream of ladybower is a grotty muddy swamp. And a section of bare hillside where hundreds of trees have been cleared in a hurry for some reason.

Another thing is the once picture postcard villages of Bamford, Hathersage etc.. are now reduced to bottleneck chicaines with lorries thundering through day and night. It would be much better to have a bypass road or tunnel which left these villages to revert to a quieter life, which joined up to the M67.

You're not wrong! I live in Bamford, and the traffic through the village is beyond a joke.

The police sent a speed camera to Bamford main road not so long back, and caught 80 people speeding through the village in a couple of hours - but will they put a permanent camera up? No, apparently 5 people have to die on that stretch of road before they will erect a camera there.

You couldn't make it up.

Originally posted by fhain29
Why can't we Brits build things like this here? Great British architecture being built abroad.

We're too conservative for anything like that.