Original subtitles

[light music]

- [Narrator] They are steel giants,

technological marvels of their time,

grand statements of their respective eras.

[intense music]

The most spectacular steel bridges in the world,

equal part monument

and part of our essential infrastructure.

They smooth the path for hundreds of thousands

of commuters every day.

The materials used are extremely vulnerable.

These giant structures have to be serviced

under very difficult conditions on a daily basis.

- [Translator] We don't look down and simply do our work.

I'm not afraid anymore.

- [Narrator] No matter where,

no matter how, the maintenance of steel bridges

is almost always a high wire act.

- The wind's the worst, always blowing here, never stops.

It seems like.

- [Narrator] Starting with a structure,

the construction of the most spectacular steel bridges

in the world is a huge challenge.

A multimillion euro gamble that often drives builders

and engineers alike to the edge of bankruptcy

and the brink of madness.

- Why would we want to build a $40 million bridge

at that time?

- [Narrator] Building the gigantic structures

transcends borders and takes human lives.

- We lost 16 people.

16 men died in the construction of this bridge.

- [Narrator] A race against time, full of risks

and challenges, with highs and lows.

But when it's finished and it opens new paths to millions,

it is suddenly only a source of magic and pride.

- You're part of history.

- Good point. - Something you

can tell your kids and grandkids.

- [Narrator] Giants made of steel.

The secrets behind the gigantic constructions,

spectacular structures, and the daily challenge

of maintaining them.

"The World's Most Spectacular Steel Bridges."

[intense music]

Majestic, unique, gigantic,

no matter which superlative one chooses, all are justified.

However, without some decisive milestones

throughout the history of bridge construction,

they would be unimaginable.

Industrial steel production begins in the 1850s.

The first industrial steel bridges are built

throughout the ensuing decades.

An era of large arch bridges follows

throughout the United States and Asia.

The strains of ever increasing train and car traffic

are on the rise.

Simultaneously, technology and design of steel bridges

to mega transport routes proceeds.

A symbol of the entire continent.

An icon of bridge construction worldwide.

And additionally, the most important traffic junction

in Australia, Sidney Harbour Bridge.

A steel giant, an extremely ambitious project.

Complicated and dangerous for everyone involved.

The bridge places great challenges

before the maintenance team each and every day.

It is a tough job, but fills them with pride.

- Yeah, you're part of history.

- Good point. - Something you

can tell your kids and grandkids.

- [Narrator] Sidney Harbour Bridge,

one of the most spectacular steel bridges in the world.

[electronic beeping]

Sidney Harbour Bridge is located

on the southeast coast of Australia.

The cityscape of Sydney,

characterized by an impressive skyline and two landmarks.

The Sydney Opera House is the more recent stroke of genius,

but the continent's most legendary piece

of design construction has been there since 1932.

Sidney Harbour Bridge,

the main connection between Sydney's northern

and southern coast.

The 134 meter high arch bridge transports

almost 160,000 cars from A to B.

It is one of the largest and with a 49 meter width span,

also one of the widest steel bridges in the world.

Eight car lanes, two railway tracks,

a bike path and a walkway share the space.

South Tower, early morning.

Overall, around 100 employees work

on the preservation of the bridge.

The morning shift is currently being briefed

by the team leader, a mandatory security procedure.

- Hey, you're working at heights,

you've gotta have a safety harness.

You've gotta check it.

You've gotta hook up, an anchoring point of the structure

or a static line and you check the static line

don't trust anyone else, trust yourself.

Guys who are the cherry pickers.

Check the cherry pickers, fill out the log books.

Fill out the log books and prep you some others at fault.

Let us know so we can get it fixed.

- [Narrator] The bridge painters, Lenny and Mass,

have been part of the permanent crew for years.

Lenny alone has been here for over 25 years now.

To avoid routine and prevent mistakes,

the teams are paired up differently each day.

- Gus is with Gantry, Zika and Meter, and Jason and McDaily.

Quick deck.

Thank you guys.

Work safe.

- [Narrator] Lenny and Mass have been assigned

to the paint job on top of the branch,

not just anywhere on top,

but on the very top of the Harbor Bridge.

[light music]

[workers talking]

Their path leads out of the South Tower,

which serves as storage facility and meeting point.

Curiously, this is also the only function of the tower

because the towers are purely design elements

by the architect.

From a static point of view,

they are completely dispensable.

The road is suspended from the bridges arch

with hundreds of cables.

The steel arch opens into a massive foundation

of 95,000 cubic meters of concrete.

[light music]

Overcoming 500 meters of waterway

while making shipping still possible

means building the bridge at an enormous height.

This seemed impossible for a long time,

but with clever design and a 39,000 ton steel arch,

bridge designers have made

the impossible possible in Sydney.

At the time,

80% of the steel had to be specially imported from England.

Mass and Lenny are on their way to the highest point

of the bridge,

A breathtaking view that loses none of its fascination,

even after countless climbs.

- Very privileged To be in such a position, you know?

And you really appreciate the harbor view

as you pull up through here.

It's beautiful.

- This is unreal. Look at how good it is.

Sometimes you're working and you get up,

you look thinking, wow.

You actually forget how good it is.

- [Narrator] Several teams work simultaneously

on the upkeep of the iconic bridge.

[light music]

The Sidney Harbour Bridge is a true magnet for tourists.

With its 503 meter span,

2.5 million people visit

the Australian metropolis every year.

The Harbor Bridge is the city's

most photographed attraction.

Engineer Varuna Calarachi is one of the main managers

of Sidney Harbour Bridge.

The SrI Lanka native came to Sydney to study

and knows how important the bridge is for the city.

[light music]

- The people in the world, around the world,

identify Australia as the Sidney Harbour Bridge.

Apart from that,

there's thousands of visitors coming to Sydney

to see the Sidney Harbour Bridge.

So we can see the people coming and talking

to us about the bridge.

The bridge is not a transport link, it's an icon.

That's why the people love that bridge.

- [Narrator] The bridge climb demonstrates the extent

to which people are fascinated by it.

For nearly 200 euros per person,

everyone can climb the bridge as part of a guided tour.

It is almost always sold out during peak season.

[light music]

For Mass and Lenny, the view is free.

They're job for today, on the west side of the bridge,

the rust has to be removed.

Then apply fresh primer and paint.

With 485,000 square meters of steel,

sometimes it feels like a never ending story.

The process takes about 10 years and once the painting crews

have done a once over, the cycle starts again.

[wind howling]

[motor humming]

Although one should never have a fear of heights,

work on the bridge has become much safer

over the last decades.

- You must remember during the construction

of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, we lost 16 people.

16 men died in the construction of this bridge.

Since the bridge's been maintained since 1932, '33,

we haven't lost anybody.

- [Narrator] The construction of the bridge

takes over eight years until the 19th of March, 1932

when it opens.

On average, some 1,400 men engaged

in the construction of the bridge,

16 of them dying in fatal accidents during construction.

A tragedy that is inextricably linked to the bridge.

- Sidney Harbour was constructed

during the Great Depression time.

That was a time the Sidney Harbour Bridge construction

was very important.

Created thousands of jobs around Sydney.

Unfortunately, there were a few life loss during that time.

Yeah, they were considered as heroes

because they are the people

who build this bridge and they're the people who have to get

to get credit for having such a marvelous structure,

middle of Sydney.

- [Narrator] The members of the maintenance team hold

the memory of the deceased workers dear

in their hearts, particularly Lenny.

♪ One step down ♪

♪ One step down ♪

♪ One step down ♪

♪ One step down ♪

♪ 16 men lost their lives ♪

♪ Building the Harbour Bridge ♪

♪ They paid the price with their lives ♪

♪ 'Cause it's only one step down ♪

- I wrote that song, but that song is called "One Step Down"

and I wrote that song about the 16 men who died

during the construction.

- It's a really good song, I have to say.

It's a great song. You done well, you done really well.

- [Narrator] Mass applies the primer

on the freshly polished steel.

Almost 30,000 liters of paint are required

to paint the entire bridge.

It cannot be bought.

It is specially produced for the Harbour Bridge.

Harbour Gray.

[light music]

Australia's pride and joy is in sore need

of its daily coat of paint too.

Like all steel bridges exposed to the salty sea air,

the Sidney Harbour Bridge

is also extremely susceptible to corrosion.

Wherever gaps are showing in the coat of paint,

rust inextricably follows.

That is why Lenny and Mass try to be that bit faster

and are glad when it works.

- This is what it looks like once it's finished.

Me and Lenny done this on our shift with another four

or five guys and yeah,

that's what it looks like after those.

That's that bridge gray color I was telling you about,

only for Sidney Harbour Bridge,

and that's what it looks like finished.

- [Narrator] Both realize that their work

will never be done, but they still love their job.

[light music]

- Ah, you couldn't get better, eh?

Like I said earlier on, you're part of history.

You know, myself and Lenny and the rest of the guys,

you're part of history.

- It's good.

- Something that we can keep in our memories.

- Yes.

- [Narrator] The end of a working day on a legend,

Sidney Harbour Bridge,

a milestone amongst the steel bridges around the world.

India, Kolkata.

Four years after the completion of Sidney Harbour Bridge,

construction begins on Howrah Bridge,

one of the most frequently used bridges in the world.

[electronic beeping]

Howrah Bridge is located in East India.

The bridge connecting the Indian cities

of Kolkata and Howrah,

withstands a daily stress test for man and machine.

Around the clock.

The superstructure of the bridge consists

of 26,000 tons of steel.

The majority of the steel comes from Indian manufacturers.

Only the complex compounds are imported from England.

The 705 meter long steel construct is one

of the largest cantilever bridges in the world.

Maintenance, an unsecured climbing act

on one of the most spectacular bridges.

Mega city Kolkata.

The Howrah Bridge is one of the city's bottlenecks.

The bridge, one of the last major steel cantilever bridges

in the world.

Anything that can walk, run, and drive,

sweeps over the bridge in a mad rush.

Originally the bridge was intended for cars

and one tram line only.

Due to ever increasing traffic,

the bridge is now used exclusively

by cars, trucks, and pedestrians.

Partial closure of the bridge would trigger a mega gridlock.

The maintenance team is busy every day and a team boss,

Kartik, making sure the bridge is always possible.

- [Translator] Maintenance today is a routine job.

The height is not a problem for us either.

Come on lads, off you go.

- [Narrator] The daily ascent for the team.

50 meters above the flow of traffic.

A balancing act on bare steel beams.

Although the inspection team wears climbing harnesses,

often due to time constraints

and because there are simply no anchorage points,

the men prefer working without straps,

even when the need arises to climb high.

[cars honking]

- [Translator] I don't have any problems looking down.

We go up there and we are focused on our job

and while working, we don't have to look down.

We're not scared at all.

For us, it is not a problem to remove the bird's nests.

- [Narrator] The main problem is, in fact,

corrosion, damage caused by bird droppings.

The birds live on mass on the bridge

because they're attracted by the waste under the bridge.

Hundreds of people have opened their market stands

and tents alongside the bridge.

Most of the inhabitants of Kolkata

still live in abject poverty.

Their waste is food for birds that build their nests

in the steel framework of the bridge.

[horns honking]

- [Translator] There's a nest up there.

- [Narrator] The maintenance crew's work is never done

because every day they have to remove new nests

from the bridge's steel frame.

[speaking foreign language]

A daring ascent without safeguards.

Any false step is deadly, but fortunately and remarkably,

since the bridge has been serviced,

no fatal accident has occurred.

So they say.

[light music]

- [Translator] This nest was pretty new.

Way up there in the steel cage.

We've removed it,

we've cleaned the steel from the mess

and now we're going to throw it away.

- [Narrator] Aside from the annoying problem

with the corrosion-causing droppings,

there is yet another difficulty.

Gautam Chakrabarti, security manager of the bridge,

knows of it all too well and has been fighting for years

against a singularly unique problem

in conserving the bridge.

- The bridge is also racing against human habit.

One human habit of Indians, I'm not deriding anything.

I love our habits, we are also servants of habit,

is eating the bitter nut and spitting wherever you can.

So recently the court commissioner's engineers were faced

with a very unique problem of having to do

with this corrosion that has taken place due

to simple bitter nut spit been going down the gutters

of the columns and causing corrosion.

- [Narrator] Warning signs are meant

to dissuade passers by from spitting,

but the estimated 500,000 pedestrians walking daily

over the bridge, ignore the warning.

The cleaning crews are fighting a losing battle.

The city of Kolkata dedicates 19,000 euros per year

to bridge maintenance.

By European standards, it is a paltry amount.

By Indian standards, however, it is a decent budget.

- [Translator] Every day we have to clean up

the people's garbage, every single day.

- [Narrator] The cleaning crews daily grind

on the Howrah Bridge, seriously tough.

Workers are constantly exposed to exhaust fumes,

noise, and erratic driving maneuvers.

Add to that, people who seem to be living on the bridge.

[traffic rumbling]

[horns honking]

- [Translator] It's not really dangerous,

but I have been hit a few times.

People just don't pay attention.

They don't care that we are doing our work here.

They just don't care.

- [Narrator] An estimated 200,000 plus cars

and up to two million people cross the bridge every day.

The bridge is reaching the edge of its capacity.

[light music]

The design is unique.

The roads and sidewalks, unlike other bridges,

do not run along the entire length of the bridge,

but lead beyond the pillars laterally to the shore areas.

Therefore, the road is not in the interior of the structure,

but on a dedicated bridge deck,

which is attached to the supporting bridge structure

underneath by 39 pairs of supports on under belts.

A rather rare construct whose origin was fought for

on many fronts by the designers and construction team.

- The reason was that the challenge came not only

from the water, a tidal river, but also from the air.

Very importantly, this was the period

when the war was on and the bridge was being constructed

and its final phases were coming in the thick of the war.

- [Narrator] Chaos during construction, which began in 1936,

a pioneering project for India,

which was spared only by luck.

By being bombed by the Japanese Navy,

large parts of the city are destroyed.

Yet the steel monster bridge

under construction survived unscathed.

Why?

Nobody really knows.

As a result,

the government decided against an inaugural ceremony

in an effort to protect the Indian engineers pioneer project.

[light music]

Decades later, the bridge is still not a hazard-free zone.

The daily grind of the cleaning crew,

an adventurous obstacle course.

[horn beeping]

Occasionally being hit by cars or bicycles,

routine for the cleaning crew,

but they don't want to work on the upper tier either.

- [Translator] I would work up on the scaffolding.

You get higher wages,

but honestly, it's too dangerous whenever I look up,

it's just too dangerous for me.

- [Narrator] It's understandable.

The team up there on the bridge works unsecured

to remove yet another bird's nest.

[intense music]

Nest disposal is definitely Indian style.

Despite all the dangers,

a job on the maintenance team is highly sought after.

[light music]

- [Translator] I'm extremely proud to work

for the Howrah Bridge.

I work for an impressive and fascinating structure

and have been able to work my way up to the top.

For me personally, it couldn't get any better than this.

- I love my India.

- [Narrator] A steel giant at the outer edges of capacity.

The Howrah Bridge in India, for so many bridge fans,

a technical marvel.

For others, a steel monster that has reached its limit.

In any case,

definitely one of the most spectacular steel bridges

in the world.

Yet another one is located in North America,

267 meters over the New River Gorge

in the state of West Virginia.

Another true steel giant.

The New River Gorge Bridge.

[light music]

[electronic beeping]

The New River Gorge Bridge is located in the east of the USA

in West Virginia.

Up to 20,000 vehicles rush over the steel arch bridge daily

and that makes it a maintenance monster.

Cold, constant winds, and its gigantic height requires

the maintenance team to give their all.

[intense music]

- Yeah, that's what we want. [workers celebrating]

- [Narrator] Minus 30 degrees is not uncommon

during West Virginia winters.

The river in the gorge and the remoteness

of the national park means maintenance work resembles

an almost logistical masterpiece.

Every two years, a maintenance team moves in.

Matthew Luellen and his men climb the highest bridges in the country.

The New River Gorge is next.

- You get more used to it as time goes on, but you know,

the conditions are already different.

A lot of times you get a little bit of wind

like we're getting right now.

That can affect how your descent goes.

It can move you off the steel a little bit.

So the calmer the better.

So the more wind sometimes we won't repel

if it gets too windy.

- [Narrator] No easy conditions for Matt's protege, Andrew.

It's his turn to descend first today.

Although he has climbing experience,

the New River Gorge Bridge is new to him.

[wind howling]

- [Matt] You got as much as you can?

- [Narrator] No one climbs

over the railing without supervision.

At least two colleagues keep their eyes on Andrew

at all times.

Supervisor Matt has been doing the job for 20 years.

He immediately notices when something is wrong.

- Got it?

Getting tired.

- [Andrew] Yeah, with this 200 pounds of rope here

makes it a little harder.

- [Narrator] Descending for the first time down

the New River Gorge, the rookie's tension is palpable.

Today's job, by design, is a simple start.

First task, superficial visual inspection.

Every nook and cranny has to be controlled and documented.

Andrew notes the bridge's condition on his tablet.

[upbeat music]

- And he returns.

What'd you see down there, boss?

- Looks pretty good. Matt. - Yeah.

All right.

- So while I was down there,

I just saw some moderate surface corrosion,

a little bit of rust initiating in some of the connections.

Nothing major.

It's just something we'll monitor for the next inspection

and make sure it doesn't get any worse.

- [Narrator] The team's most difficult task is still ahead.

Later they have to move two of the bridge's metal plates

nearly 300 feet above the canyon.

Just below, the 162 ton road.

Sooner or later, the New River Gorge pushes each worker

to the limit.

At most, when exposed to the wind.

- The wind's the worst.

Always blowing here, never stops.

Seems like it.

- [Narrator] Chief engineer, Jimmy Wriston,

has known the bridge since the groundbreaking ceremony.

He still remembers how risky the job was

for the workers back then.

- The construction worker is highly skilled.

We call 'em the Ironmen of the Gorge for a reason,

because the were out there in all kinds

of inclement weather.

It's a tough job.

Everyone I talked to loved it.

It's the best time in their life,

but it was also the toughest time of their life.

- [Narrator] The difficult location posed extreme challenges

and of course, the structure itself must be unique.

- They come to the conclusion that this arch bridge,

unique arch, never been designed before,

was probably gonna be the best option

for the site due to the length,

due to the topography, due to the depth of the gorge,

the remoteness of the area.

- [Narrator] The construction of this arch bridge,

revolutionary at the time.

The biggest obstacle, the deep, wide canyon.

Founder engineer Michael Baker had the bridge built

on the right and the left side, piece by piece.

The two sides eventually join in the middle.

At its completion in 1977, with a 518 meter arch span,

the bridge is the largest of its kind in the world.

The construction of this level and this long distance

is possible only with a unique cable crane element,

allowing exact positioning

of the individual bridge elements.

- As an engineer, you always look at cost-benefit ratios.

In the early 70s, those numbers just wouldn't add up.

Why would we want to build a $40 million bridge

at that time?

But there were folks with some vision

and they took the long view and they could see

the long-term benefit.

- [Narrator] The vision did indeed pay off.

Via the Old Pass Road, it took 45 minutes to travel

from one side of the gorge to the other.

Across the New River Gorge Bridge, 40 seconds.

Logistic added bonus, an enormous economic boom

in the now much more easily accessible region.

Daily, tens of thousands of vehicles rush across the bridge,

especially in winter.

It's a problem.

Aggressive road salt is poison for the bridges structure,

which is why the engineers use calcium magnesium acetate,

a gentler road salt substitute with a low freezing point.

The bridge is extremely maintenance intensive

and different teams are regularly deployed.

Matt and his engineers get ready for the main task

of the day under the lane directly over the canyon.

The only safeguard, a loose rope attached

to the foot of the bridge.

[wind howling]

After several visual inspections,

the day's biggest challenge is up.

A support element of the bridge

must be shifted without disrupting traffic.

Sounds impossible, but it is not.

[wind howling]

- Make sure you're clear the guides.

Yeah.

About eight or so.

Move it three and three quarters of an inch.

- Yeah, I agree with your mark.

Okay, so we'll just get that mark to come over

and line up with that and we should be good.

- Okay.

- [Narrator] The middle part of the bridge expands

or contracts depending on the temperature.

One of the gears that ensures the necessary clearance

is stuck and must be brought into position.

[light music]

[wind howling]

[pump humming]

[metal clanking]

- Yeah, that's what we want. - Woo!

- That's what we want, we wanna see it move.

That means it's broke loose from the vent

and we shouldn't have any problems sliding it on over.

- 51 exactly. - 51.

- Hey Josh.

- [Narrator] The pressure from the compressor supports

the men and takes weight off the plate.

That's how the bridge bearing is able to move

and can be put back in place again.

The amount of pressure, the selection and positioning

of the devices are the true test

of whether Andrew's calculations are correct.

- Yeah, I'm happy with it. - Everything went good.

Right wherever it needs to be.

- Yeah, it everything went right according to plan.

Moved it about three and a quarter inches and you can see

our two marks are lined up now, so it's in the right place.

- [Narrator] Everything fits perfectly.

The bridge bearing and the supporting element

are positioned perfectly again.

While maintenance work was happening under the bridge,

the four lane traffic flowed smoothly above.

Daily routine on the New River Gorge Bridge,

one of the most spectacular steel bridges in the world.

[upbeat music]

Can even more ambitious constructs work within large cities

in the middle of a mega city>

The next bridge answers those questions

with an emphatic "Yes!"

Chongqing, China, population 30 million,

one of the largest cities in the world

and right in the middle of the Chaotianmen Yangtze Bridge.

[electronic beeping]

The Chaotianmen Yangtze Bridge is located in southwest China

and is the latest landmark in the city of Chongqing.

The steel bridge is a through-arch bridge

with the world's largest span.

Made of solid steel, it stretches over 1700 meters

above the famous Yangtze River.

An architectural world record high point,

the Chinese are proud of to this day.

Continuously absorbing vibration due to the heavy burden,

the bridge has to be serviced

under the most adverse conditions.

Already during the construction phase,

barriers were broken because this was a first on all fronts.

Nothing of this dimension has ever been built before.

A steel giant in the middle of a mega city.

Chongqing, one of the larger cities in the world,

nearly 30 million people.

The problem, the mega city is divided by the Yangtze River.

So that thousands of bankers and workers

can travel faster from A to B,

there can only be one solution.

The Chaotianmen Yangtze Bridge, rising 142 meters

above the Yangtze River, 1,741 meters long

and with a main span of 552 meters.

It is unique in the world.

The Chinese are breaking records with these dimensions.

Mr. Lee Uwashi, vice president

of the Chongqing City Construction Group

was present during construction

and knows the main challenges.

- [Translator] The location required that we erect a bridge

with a very large arch.

The problem, there was no experience

on how the material behaves in these dimensions.

These were incredible demands on the carrying capacity

of the entire bridge.

- [Narrator] In December, 2004, construction begins

on Chaotianmen Bridge.

Only four years later, the project is finished.

Matter of expense, about 420 million euros.

[light music]

7:30 AM, the team, led by Chief Inspector Zhu Lynn,

prepares for today's work tour.

[speaking foreign language]

- [Translator] Our work always entails

a certain amount of risk simply because we usually work

at extreme heights.

But I'm not afraid.

Hopefully, we are done with our maintenance

before the weather gets too bad.

- [Narrator] The six member maintenance team

is on its way, despite continuous rain.

But before the crew goes to the bridge,

they have to check first the work done on the lower part

of the bridge.

[light music]

Chaotianmen Yangtze Bridge is no ordinary truss bridge.

Three struts build a typical truss bridge construction form,

but width and length of each strut are varied.

At the parts of the bridge

where bigger burdens were calculated,

inevitably larger cross sections,

and therefore more material, is needed.

[upbeat music]

Another feature, the bridge is a two level construction.

On the lower half of the bridge,

cars and trains were foreseen.

However, the construction has not been completed yet.

Nevertheless, even the lower level of the bridge

must be constantly serviced.

Otherwise, the damage can quickly get out of hand

and the task becomes insurmountable.

[machines buzzing]

[speaking foreign language]

- [Translator] A steel bridge is prone to rust.

That is just a fact,

which is why we need to constantly treat the steel so there

is as little corrosion damage to the bridge as possible.

- [Narrator] The men worked directly over the abyss

of the Yangtze River.

Sanding and painting without a break,

measures to avoid long-term damage.

A bit later, high up on the bridge,

even more difficult maintenance work is pending.

As so often on the Yangtze,

the weather has worsened in record time.

Nevertheless, shift boss, Zhu Lynn and his men

make a dangerous ascent.

[speaking foreign language]

- [Translator] People, please be careful.

Stay focused.

Don't drop anything.

Check if anything can fall out of your pockets

and check your security harnesses before we go.

[speaking foreign language]

[intense music]

- [Narrator] the crew must inspect

the aircraft warning lights at the very top of the arch.

It's more than a 200 meter climb.

Although the crew can be secured

while they're working up there,

they're unprotected during the ascent.

The big problem, the weather getting worse,

a thunderstorm is brewing.

The monsoon rain swiftly turned the gigantic steel bridge

into an unpredictably slippery hazard.

Nevertheless, the men are determined

to conduct their inspection.

- [Translator] These are really extreme conditions today.

The gloves are wet.

Everything is slippery,

but we have to finish the job and make sure

that even in this weather it gets done properly.

- [Narrator] Only moments later,

weather conditions are deteriorating rapidly.

Huge amounts of rain come pouring down.

Not unusual in the monsoon season.

Going on would be perilous, abort.

For today, nothing more can be done.

The end of what can often be a typical working day

over the Yangtze.

For tonight, no danger.

The huge aircraft warning light system performs as usual

on one of the biggest structures on the planet.

The Chaotianmen Yangtze Bridge of Chongqing.

It is Japan's highest bridge,

massive and elegant at the same time.

The Hiroshima Airport Bridge,

locally named Hiroshima Sky Arch.

[electronic beeping]

Hiroshima Airport Bridge

is part of the Central Flight Highway

that connects the area with the Hiroshima Airport.

At 380 meters, this bridge is one of

the longest truss arch bridges in the world.

Its construction takes 10 years

during ongoing rail operations

and today, the bridge and those who work on it,

face very special challenges.

Hiroshima Airport, three million passengers take off

and land here every year.

An important traffic hub,

with most passengers coming from the north of Japan.

Previously, to get to the airport,

passengers had to cross the river Ota.

A complicated undertaking.

By 2010, the bridge is built

and since then the journey to the airport

takes 20 minutes less.

To ensure a safe passage,

the bridge has to be constantly monitored and maintained.

Everywhere along the steel colossus are access ladders.

A big check is planned for today.

It is 25 year old Kiwana's first time.

Mind you, she has already done several smaller inspections

on the bridge and knows what's important.

- [Translator] We're now going down the ladder

to carry out a visual inspection on the bridge.

If any bolts are nuts are loose or if there is any rust.

[light music]

- [Narrator] A thorough inspection on the bridge

every five years is mandatory.

Today is the first time and Kiwana knows exactly

what to expect.

For the onsite inspection of the gigantic structure,

she has her own personal list of priorities.

[light music]

[speaking foreign language]

- [Translator] When I do the inspection,

then I'm very focused and switch off

to everything else around me.

[speaking foreign language]

But there are times when I can take a moment

where I can just enjoy the view

and then I think to myself, "Hey, I have a cool job."

[speaking foreign language]

- [Translator] Let's carry on.

We have to access the arch for an inspection.

- [Narrator] The arch is the centerpiece of the bridge.

With its 380 meters, it belongs to the longest in the world

and at 190 meters vertical height,

the bridge is also quite tall.

Similar to the New River Gorge Bridge,

the Japanese engineers build the bridge on the right

and the left side at the same time.

Therefore, they have to precisely calculate

how to put the arch of the bridge together exactly

in the middle.

The incredibly low deviation of 16 millimeters

is a master achievement.

A special crane should bring the steel parts one by one

in the high positions.

The problem, usual engines cannot lift and position

the enormous weights fast enough

to fit into the very tight schedule.

That is why the Japanese rely

on a special engine from Germany,

which is able to lift the extremely heavy parts much faster.

Kenchi Kobo, senior engineer

of the Hiroshima Airport Bridge,

recalls some of the bigger challenges during construction.

- [Translator] Because of the enormous height of the bridge,

even a little bolt, a tiny nut dropping,

can cause a lot of damage to passersby or trains.

To prevent this from happening,

we temporarily stretch out a net where we are working

at that particular moment.

- [Narrator] Finally, the roadway can be placed on the arch,

but it is not just the height that causes

the construction team distress.

Work has to be constantly interrupted for safety reasons.

- [Translator] The bridge runs over a roadway

and railroad tracks.

Here trains pass in 10 to 15 minute intervals.

When work material arrives from the supply factories,

we have to cross the tracks.

Train schedules had to be checked, often halting traffic.

This slowed us down considerably,

making it difficult to finish the project

within the planned timeframe.

- [Narrator] The railway line runs underneath the bridge.

For safety reasons,

the work had to be interrupted for each passing train.

On top of the bridge, another special feature,

one traffic lane ending nowhere.

Today, only cars of the maintenance crew can use this lane.

No interruptions today for the maintenance crew,

they are on route to the arch of the bridge,

a fairly arduous ascent.

[light music]

- [Translator] Could you hold the ladder please?

I'll go up first.

We have to be in good shape for this job.

We climb a lot.

It takes a lot out of you.

- [Narrator] The ascent is reminiscent of an expedition

and is actually improvised.

During construction of the mega bridge,

a path to the arch was forgotten.

Proper access is supposed to be added in the coming years.

Finally, the crew reaches its destination

after a tough 20 minute climb.

They are on the bridge arch.

The visual inspection begins.

From now on, ladders are available

because it goes up even higher into the arch.

The entire structure is checked

for paint damage or loose nuts.

So far, all is well.

Kiwano is almost done.

[upbeat music]

[speaking foreign language]

- [Translator] This isn't my favorite part of the job,

climbing around up here with the wind,

the view from here is great and it's a beautiful bridge.

We're above the abyss.

Almost 180 meters above the ground.

- [Narrator] And so, the Hiroshima Airport Bridge

is the highest bridge ever built in Japan

and certainly one of the most spectacular steel bridges

in the world.