Don’t look down: Swiss open new foot bridge near Matterhorn

By iNFOTEL
August 02 2017 11:53 AM

CP274522912 — People walk on the "Europabruecke", that is supposed to be the world\'s longest pedestrian suspension bridge with a length of 494m, after the official inauguration of the construction in Randa, Switzerland, on Saturday, July 29, 2017. The bridge is situated on the Europaweg that connects the villages of Zermatt and Graechen. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP)

GENEVA – This bridge is not for the acrophobic.

Switzerland has inaugurated the world’s longest suspension foot bridge along a trail toward the famed Matterhorn that features majestic Alpine views.

A Swiss tourism official said Wednesday the 494-meter (1,621-foot) bridge can cut hiking time on the Europaweg trail by at least 3 hours between the southwestern towns of Graechen and Zermatt.

Before Saturday’s opening, Alpine explorers had to descend into the town of Randa and scale another ascent since a shorter foot bridge was closed in 2010 due to unstable terrain.

Only 65 centimetres (25 inches) wide, the bridge soars as high as 85 metres (279 feet) above the ground, traversing over the deepest-cut valley in Switzerland.

Swiss media said the structure surpasses Germany’s 459-meter (1,506-foot)”Titan-RT” as the world’s longest suspension bridge.

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