Water Bridge

[freaklarm]

Do you now that when you go from Seven Seas Lagoon to Bay Lake you have to go go across a WATER BRIDGE, yes a bridge that instead of anything else carries water. When built it was the first one of its kind in the world. Now there are 5 worldwide, 2 of them in France and 3 of them at Disney World, the original one (Seven Seas-Bay Lake) and there are two that connect World Showcase Lagoon with the Boardwalk, Beach and Yacht Lagoon, you can see one of them backstage Epcot and the other one when you go to the Yacht and Beach Club from the road the pass in front of the entrance of the Boardwalk.

 

[Bagheera]

My wife always gets angry at me because I remark about it EVERY TIME we go under them. I can't help it! I just think that it's so cool!

 

[BenS]

This sounds very interesting, does anyone have any pictures? And where are you going when you go under them?

 

[Captain Cab]

Originally posted by BenS
This sounds very interesting, does anyone have any pictures? And where are you going when you go under them?

Take any bus to or from the Magic Kingdom and you'll go under one of them. This is also the same stretch of road guests can drive on if they're visiting the Contemporary Resort.

 

[Bagheera]

The Seven Seas Lagoon/Bay Lake water bridge goes over World Drive between the Contemporary and the TTC. The bridge by Epcot goes over Epcot Resorts Boulevard if you go around the back end of the loop from BC around to BW. Sorry, no photos. Maybe after my October trip.

 

[MonorailBlack]

The architectural reasoning behind these water bridges is to have a clear water view from anypoint on the lakes instead of having an vehicular bridge over the water. By the way, if you are lucky enough to be traveling under the water bridge when the boats are using it, it looks really cool!!!!

 

[DarkImage4]

Here's a shot I have from my honeymoon last year. We were on a pontoon boat heading from Seven Seas Lagoon to Bay Lake. This facing the MK (i.e. north). You can see the road coming from under the waterway and Space Mountain in the background.

http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=2533

 

[tenchu]

What is the difference then, between a water bridge and an aqueduct?

 

[freaklarm]

It is so fum when sometimes we have to take the Ferry Boat to Bay Lake and when going across the water bridge see all the cars and buses that stop in the middle of the road just to see that big boat going over them. BTW sometimes when I'm driving a cruiser I stop in the bridge just to see the reaction of the people in the road, they love it.

 

[donaldduck1967]

i've always wondered what would happen if the bridge cracked? obviously water would leak but what if it was a really BIG crack. Is there some kind of system in place that would prevent the water from spilling out?

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by tenchu
What is the difference then, between a water bridge and an aqueduct?

A water Bridge is a bridge system that has been designed to carry water, there are sealed joints to prevent leaking, unlike a road bridge where the joints are close butt pavment or rugber gaskets to allow for the expansion and the parapit wall joint is just a gap where the joint is. the bridge at World has historicaly been a small amount of leakage over the years.
I can not recall a time I was there and the underpass didn't have a wet spot on the pavement.

an Aqueduct is designed to carry a flow of water, it can either be drinking water or other water sources such as irigation or flood control. Aqua ducts are generally just below grade, some are open at grade like irrigation canals in the Southwest and some can be bored thru mountains like the feed for Los Angeles from the high country.

 

[tenchu]

Originally posted by jmarc63
A water Bridge is a bridge system that has been designed to carry water, there are sealed joints to prevent leaking, unlike a road bridge where the joints are close butt pavment or rugber gaskets to allow for the expansion and the parapit wall joint is just a gap where the joint is. the bridge at World has historicaly been a small amount of leakage over the years.
I can not recall a time I was there and the underpass didn't have a wet spot on the pavement.

an Aqueduct is designed to carry a flow of water, it can either be drinking water or other water sources such as irigation or flood control. Aqua ducts are generally just below grade, some are open at grade like irrigation canals in the Southwest and some can be bored thru mountains like the feed for Los Angeles from the high country.

Thanks jmarc.

So basically the water on the bridge is static? Its used to link two bodies of water, without a flow?

 

[stuart]

Its a really smart thing and another world first from Disney. I wonder how many world firsts Disney actually have and if any of the world records they had still exist.

 

[Al]

cool! thanks for sharing!

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by tenchu
Thanks jmarc.

So basically the water on the bridge is static? Its used to link two bodies of water, without a flow?

It is preferable to have a static flow as opposed to a flowing body because flowing water tends to cause erosion at some point and could degrade the sub structure, in that case an aquaduct would be prefreable.

 

[Blizz]

One of the other water bridges is located near the shipyard where the Princess Cruise Line ship the "Princess of the Seas" was built. The cool part about the shi[ yard is that to get the ships to sea it must go down a river and accross the largest of these water bridges. Imagine a cruise ship travling accross a bridge while driving under it.

Also if you look under the bridges at WDW they have many pipes. Does anyone have a clue what they are?

 

[s25843]

Here is a view of the water bridge from the road.

 

[magic kingdom]

Thats really cool. ive never known that before. I have got to keep my eye out for that one. THANX :sohappy: :animwink:

 

[SirNim]

Water Bridges are COOL! :lol:

 

[magic kingdom]

They are really cool!:wave: