The Student Prints

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The Student Prints

The Student Prints

Gatlinburg Skybridge Opening

Gatlinburg+Skybridge+Opening

The longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the United States reopened May 17. This bridge is the third largest in the world. The bridge is located at the top of Crockett Mountain in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The bridge got renovated this year due to damage from previous Gatlinburg wildfires in 2016.

The bridge is 680 feet long and five feet wide, has three glass floor panels that are 15 feet long towards the middle, and is secured with thick metal wires and anchored by over one million pounds of concrete. The foundation of the bridge on each side is between 60-90 feet inside the earth.

Those that cross this bridge have to go on the Gatlinburg Sky Lift which has been open since 1954. The Sky Lift can fit three people at a time and brings people up to about 1800 feet above sea level.  

The bridge stretches across a deep valley, from the middle of the bridge it has a height of 140 feet above a lush, tree dense area. This bridge has a panoramic view of downtown Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The bridge was set up to have many wind guy cables in order to stabilize, but it closes when wind speeds are over 30 mph. It can hold more than 200,000 pounds and is a great place for thrill seekers.

Tickets cost $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors, and $14.95 for kids, and it is free for children younger than three.

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