Kuandinsky Bridge – Is This Russian Bridge The Scariest in the World?

Some of our readers were asking about what bridge is the most dangerous and today we have the answer for you.

The Kuandinsky Bridge, in the Trans-Baltic Region in Russia, is likely to be the most dangerous bridge in the world. At only two meters wide (a little over 6 feet), the Kuandinsky Bridge lets cars and trucks cross the Vitim River with no railings! So crossing it, is a very anxiety producing situation if you are on the bridge., making crossing it a bit of an anxiety rush.

The bridge is scary for many reasons because a minor mistake could mean a fall to one’s death into the Vitim River in Russia.

So why do people use the bridge, and what exactly makes it so terrifying?

Read on for the whole story…

How Safe is the Kuandinsky Bridge?

As the safety of the bridge has been called into question, what specifically makes it seem less safe? For starters, the bridge is only 2 meets WIDE! Which is approximately 6 and a half feet. Think about your own car, it is probably very close to 6 feet wide. So that means that 2 cars cannot pass one another because the road is so narrow.

Lack of Railings – so if your car is about 6 feet wide and the whole width of the road is 6 and half feet, that only leaves you 2 inches or so on each side of your car! Remember there are no railings and this bridge is above a freezing cold river. So a small mistake becomes a deadly accident with your car falling over the edge!

Length – the bridge itself is about 570 meters long, which is a considerable distance.

The Bridge was intended to be a Railroad Track

The bridge was built in 1982 and originally meant to be a railroad bridge, but it ended up never being used for the rail line when the plans were abandoned.

After the railroad was abandoned, the locals began to use it to cross the river in their vehicles.

The Bridge Has Never Been Repaired or Updated

Because  the bridge was meant for a railroad, it is not meant to take on the wear and tear of cars directly on the road. And since is not an official bridge, the government has not maintained it or done any fixing to the road surface.

Eastern Russia has a harsh climate and that helps to accelerate the wear and tear on the road and also made it freeze at times with ice.

Together, these factors add to the danger element.

The Locals Have Tried to Fix the Bridge

Because the government has not fixed or updated the bridge, the locals have tried to patch holes in the road themselves. In

Since there hasn’t been any official care to the bridge, the locals have just covered up any kind of breaks or holes with planks in order to still drive across it. We don’t know about you, but we certainly don’t want to cross a bridge with just some pieces of wood in between us and a frozen, wet grave.

When it snows, which it definitely does in Russia, the wooden planks across the bridge become even more slick than they are in dry weather. That means it’s much easier to slip over the bridge and fall into the chilly river below.

The Bridge is Popular with Daredevils

Given how dangerous it is, it is not surprising that the bridge is that it is gaining popularity with daredevils. Daredevils and thrill seekers from around the world have started making their way to the bridge to satisfy their thrill seeking!

The locals still do use the bridge, but the nearby town has dramatically shrunk as time has gone on, so it receives minimal usage and doesn’t really function as a passage for local commuters.

2002 Vitim Bolide Event

Maybe one of the scariest things about the bridge is what occurred in 2002 near Vitim. A bolide, which is pretty much a small piece of space rock, hurdled through our atmosphere and landed near the Vitim River. They did try to measure how big the impact was, but it’s really only a guess of about .86 terajoules. That is about a third of the force of a nuclear blast.

The bridge was not destroyed by the event, but it was definitely rocked. It caused many to wonder what would happen to the bridge if something similar happened again?

Or what if there was an earthquake? Being over water and not super sturdy does not make for a stable base. Miraculously, things are still okay.

Shocker – No One Has Been Hurt?

The craziest party of this story is that given all the dangers we mentioned above, it turns out that ZERO people appear to have been hurt.

There are zero records of any injuries or deaths related to the bridge.

People might be extremely cautious given the dangers, or few people using it. Whatever it is, we are not exactly sure. The good news is that nobody has been seriously injured or died.