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The Making of Switzerland’s Longest Suspension Bridge

This might make you dizzy.
Rachel Pick
New York, US

Acrophobes, consider this your trigger warning.

Engineers in Switzerland recently completed work on the country's longest suspension bridge, linking the communities of Sementina and Monte Carasso, near the Italian border. Interestingly, the Carasc bridge was not a civic project but an undertaking by the Curzútt Foundation. Curzútt is an adorable, historic stone village located in Monte Carasso, and the Foundation built the bridge to increase tourism to the area.

However, this new attraction might draw more thrill-seekers than history buffs. 270 meters across and 130 meters above the ground, the bridge looks sturdy, and the rugged mountain engineers shown building it certainly seem to know what they're doing—but none of that is very reassuring when you're approximately 42 stories up and the only thing under your feet is some nicely cut larchwood.

Using a team of 28 workers over a period of eight months, the bridge was built with assistance from HeliSwiss helicopters, which helped the construction team lay six load-bearing steel cables across the valley, each 36 millimeters thick. The cables were fastened to the concrete foundation and tightened, then workers began laying the wooden walkway—a process requiring the men to stare a gut-clenching drop in the face.

The area's tourism site promises a "risk-free" journey, and the quaint charm of the countryside looks inviting. Just try not to look down.