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In 1998, Honduras built a bridge designed to survive any storm. It survived a Category 5 hurricane perfectly but the river shifted, leaving it spanning over dry land. (europe.pub)

submitted 1 week ago by sanitation@lemmy.today to c/interestingasfuck@lemmy.world

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[–] nailingjello@piefed.zip 40 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

While the bridge itself was in near perfect condition, the roads on either end of the bridge vanished completely, leaving no visible trace of their prior existence. At this time, the Choluteca River, which is over 100 metres (300 ft) at the bridge, carved itself a new channel during the massive flooding caused by the hurricane. It no longer flowed beneath the bridge, which now spanned dry ground. The bridge quickly became known as "The Bridge to Nowhere". In 2003, the bridge was reconnected to the highway.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I love rivers. You cannot contain them—they will always win, eventually.

[–] Trex202@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

The Nile used to be considerably closer to the pyramids

[–] blackberry28@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well, we currently are controlling rivers via climate change - making them vanish. We see this currently with the Rhine and the Danube, both their water levels are at a record low, leading to shutdown of nuclear powerplants cos they can't be cooled anymore and massive economic damages since ships can't transport as much stuff compared to when the water level is high.

[–] toynbee@piefed.social 2 points 1 week ago

Note that they said "eventually." When humanity dies out, the river wins.

[–] Yondoza@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago

I wonder if the bridge contributed to the change in river course. It slowed flow enough in the normal river channel that the faster flowing water went around and dug a deeper channel next door. The water slowed by the bridge dropped its sediment to build up a bank under the span.

Seems like a plausible story, no idea if it's based in reality though.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

This is why Wile E. Coyote is the real protagonist of that cartoon; we see ourselves in him.