News & Current Events
$400m Virginia Bridge Sparks Viral Confusion After Appearing To Vanish Into Water
Social media users are in disbelief over a US bridge where cars appear to disappear into thin air.
Every time we open our phones, we see a variety of odd videos.
We never know what to expect, from beautiful biological simulations to dancing pets.
But witnessing a number of vehicles seem to disappear as they drove into the ocean? My bingo card did not have something on it.
Recently, a viral video that demonstrates just that has been making the rounds on X, formerly Twitter.
The video, which has received millions of views, shows cars going down a bridge in the midst of a body of water from above until they disappear into what appears to be thin air.
However, what is it?
What is the viral video really showing?
No, AI did not create the odd video.
The Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel, or MMMBT for short, is the reality.
The 4.6-mile (7.4-kilometer) structure, which spans three major rivers—the James, Nansemond, and Elizabeth—connects the cities of Newport News and Suffolk in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
The whole complex consists of two side-by-side elevated roads, two artificial islands, 3.2 miles of twin trestles, and a tunnel that is 4,800 feet (1,500 m) long.
So no, regrettably, the cars aren’t vanishing into the ocean or into some sort of enchanted doorway. They’re making a really cool optical illusion as they enter an underwater tunnel.
The MMMBT took over $400 million to construct and was put into service in April 1992, 33 years ago.
It bears the names of the first ironclad warships to engage in combat, the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (previously Merrimack).
The bridge tunnel was within a mile of the site of the Battle of Hampton Roads, which was fought between March 8 and 9, 1862.
Why was the MMMBT created?
Numerous challenges, such as national security and transportation congestion, have benefited from the MMMBT.
Large naval and commercial ships can pass overhead unhindered thanks to its tunnel section, which is an essential feature when constructing a bridge over one of the busiest maritime channels on the US east coast.
Instead, engineers might have chosen a lofty bridge, but it would have put ships going beneath it in danger as well as made it susceptible to bad weather or attacks.
A tunnel rather than a big bridge lessens the susceptibility of important infrastructure to both of those threats because the region is home to significant military sites, such as Naval Station Norfolk.
Then there are constructed islands and trestles.
With the area traversing three main rivers and all, these aided engineers in adjusting to the region’s complicated topography and water depths.
What people have said about the viral video
The video left many social media users in awe, and some even asked others to clarify what it was depicting.
But others immediately recognised it.
Responding to the video, one person wrote, “That is a tunnel. Welcome to your first day of elementary school,” as a second piped up, “That’s called a tunnel my friend.”
“Open the schools,” a third quipped.
Others were left in awe by the structure, as one person penned, “Appreciate engineers!”
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