The beams would be far brighter than the full moon and, even if carefully pointed, would scatter in the atmosphere to be very bright off-beam, disrupting wildlife and effectively destroying the sky’s remaining natural beauty by erasing the stars from our sight.
—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
Named after Austrian engineer Josef Melan, the design, which allowed for faster construction, incorporated arched steel beams supporting concrete arches that supported the bridge’s structure.
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