Picture/Report: Dubai to build world's largest arch bridge by 2012

It's an example that there's truth in the saying: "the internet gods are fickle."

This summer, on a slow news day, I put together a little post titled "Proof that Dubai has more money that it can spend" and in it explained some of the incredible construction projects that the U.A.E. has undertaken there.

For whatever reason, that post is one of the most popular ones I have ever written, no doubt aided by favorable google image search rankings. So, what they heck, here's another post in the same vein.

"Dubai to build world's largest arch bridge by 2012" (click image above for full-size version):

If any real city on our planet can claim an active stake in creating the urban landscape of the future, it's probably Dubai. Artificial islands arranged in the shape of the world? Check. The world's only seven-star hotel? Check. And in 2012, it will also become home to the largest, tallest arch bridge ever.

Here's some info on the bridge as envisioned by New York architecture firm Fxfowle:

1) It's one mile long and 670 feet tall. 2) It will have 12 lanes for traffic. 3) It will cost 817 million dollars. 4) The design has Sheikh Mohammed's official stamp of approval. 5) The bridge will carry more than 2,000 vehicles per hour in each direction. 6) A metro line will run across the middle. 7) Construction begins in March, with a slated completion date of 2012.

My favorite description of Dubai, instead of "urban landscape of the future", is quite simply "Babel".

... and wouldn't you know it? Also: No word on any massive language meltdowns - yet.

On a more somber note, Dubai reminds me of Babel not only for its behemoth construction enterprises, but also because there is evidently a great deal of unjust worker exploitation taking place on the work sites.