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Why Russia built a billion dollar bridge to nowhere

Russky Bridge, which connects Vladivostok to Russky Island across the Eastern Bosphorus Strait, is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world and cost $1.1 billion to build. Construction crews spent four years building the bridge, and workers faced inclement weather, sweltering heat, high-speed winds, and freezing cold conditions. The project was part of a $20 billion investment in preparation for the 2012 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, which was held at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island. Russky Bridge has a central span of 1,104 m and can handle 50,000 vehicles per day. However, it doesn’t see anywhere near that much traffic because only 5,360 people live on Russky Island. Russky Bridge has been nicknamed the bridge to nowhere because Russky Island is so sparsely populated. Russky Bridge has two 390.2 meter A-shaped pylons and massive cables. The pylons make Russky Bridge one of the tallest bridges in the world, and the cables are coloured red, white, and blue in honor of the Russian flag. The bridge is illuminated with light at night, which makes Russky Bridge look like a giant Russian flag. Russia wants to turn Russky Island into a huge business and academic hub in the future. Russky Bridge seems like a giant waste now, but it could be heavily used in the future. Russia is spending billions to revamp its infrastructure system, and the country is improving roads, railways, and airports as part of the massive investment. Keep watching to learn more about Russky Bridge and how it was built.