If you've driven down Interstate 40 in the last year and seen the new flyover bridge at I-440 West in Raleigh, you may have been shocked to see the wall holding up the bridge is leaning. However, this isn't the case, CBS 17 reports. What appears to be a crooked and unstable wall is actually just an illusion.
According Marty Homan, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the wall is built on a curve and only appears to be leaning. Concerned drivers are reassured that the bridge is safe to drive on, with the project undergoing many inspections prior to opening.
"The wall has been inspected several times over the last year and we have found no issues to date," said Homan.
Check out the video below from CBS 17 that shows what appears to be the support of the flyover bridge leaning in at a strange angle. As the video continues, you can see how the wall was built along a curve.
"The first part of the wall, sort of the wings area, the part as you are coming up, the contractor did build it a little straighter, so there is a slight turn some people notice, but other than that, that's what creates some of that illusion, a visualization as of why it may seem to lean forward," said Robert Bullock, the engineer who oversaw the I-40 widening project.
Bullock said engineers will continue to monitor the wall, like they do for other bridges in the state, to ensure that it maintains its safety.
Photo: Getty Images