Hard infrastructure, i.e., highways, bridges, railroads, etc., aren’t often seen as some awe-inspiring examples of aesthetics that surround us. However, they certainly can be.

Whether it’s a straightforward solution that offers eye-pleasing symmetry or an elaborate design that adds extra pizzazz to the scenery, hard infrastructure can be an impressive feat of both engineering and beauty. Add perfect timing and just the right angle and you’ll be rewarded with some stunning imagery, too.

If you’re up for celebrating the curves and lines of roads and dams, we might have the perfect reddit community for you that you can find here. In it, people share photos and their admiration for impressive structures that scratches their aesthetics itch. Check out some of the latest gems from the subreddit below.

#1 Thought You Would Be Interested In This Skew Bridge In Scotland

Image credits: ameowman

These feats of engineering excellence might dazzle you with its photogenic glory but it’s infrastructure’s development processes that make it far more impressive. 

Infrastructure is often considered to be the backbone of the modern world. Hard infrastructure especially, with its intricate webs of transportation, network and power grids, and plumbing, are crucial to pretty much all city dwellers every single day. 

When developing such vital parts of our everyday lives, engineers need to weigh many different concerns, the project’s purpose and structural integrity being the most obvious ones. However, these are not the only challenges they face.

#2 Wildlife Crossing In Banff National Park, Canada

Image credits: zek_997

#3 Bastei Walking Bridge - Germany - 1851

Image credits: rockystl

Infrastructure’s climate-resilience is probably one of the most prominent issues these days. Engineers are encouraged to design structures that can withstand flooding, extreme temperatures, rising sea levels, and other physical impacts of climate change. 

An example of such initiative is the call to replace gray infrastructure with green infrastructure. The difference between the two is that gray infrastructure focuses on sluicing away rain water with the help of pipes and gutters while green one is all about capturing it by using porous pavements, rain gardens, green roofs, and the like.

#4 Heatherwick Rolling Bridge - Paddington Basin, London, England, UK

Image credits: rockystl

#5 Magdeburg Water Bridge - Magdeburg, Germany

Image credits: rockystl

#6 A Wall In Ancient Ostia Where The Bricks Were Laid According To The Scheme Called Opus Reticulatum, With Bricks Arranged Diagonally. The Ancient Romans Knew Earthquake Tremors Were Transmitted Diagonally And This Could Cope Better Than A Horizontal Pattern

Image credits: Stotallytob3r

Then, there’s also the impact of the infrastructure on nature. Deforestation is probably the first thing that comes to mind here, but there are other concerns, too. A study conducted by European Co-operation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research shows that habitat loss, mortality, as well as noise and air pollution are the most obvious traffic effects on wildlife. 

Furthermore, road barriers tend to isolate populations. And while it might seem that constructing wildlife corridors is an easy enough solution, it’s not all positive too as it can invite nonnative pest species into the landscapes.

#7 Millau Viaduct

Image credits: _SP3CT3R

#8 Čechův Most, Prague

Image credits: newjersey1988

#9 Devil's Bridge - Bulgaria

Image credits: rockystl

In addition to affecting wildlife, infrastructure can negatively affect local communities. For example, building dams can destroy wetlands, dry river basins, and leave people vulnerable to flooding or droughts. Infrastructure developments can also displace people and affect the livelihoods of nearby workers.

However, the positive effects of infrastructure can also be great often creating job opportunities for locals. Access to electricity and internet can spur economic growth, while roads and telecommunication increase social connectivity.

#10 Elevated Metro Line Integrated Into Park It Passes Over In Kolkata, India

Image credits: Low-Newt-180

#11 High Trestle Trail Bridge - Boone County, Iowa

Image credits: rockystl

#12 Utrecht, The Netherlands: 50 Years Ago, This Canal Was Filled And Converted Into A Highway. Now It Has Finally Been Transformed Back, With Space For Cyclists And Nature As Well

Image credits: Redditing-Dutchman

At the other end of the scale for all these considerations is, of course, funding. According to experts, the infrastructure in the US is underfunded and is lagging behind the country’s economic competitors. Projected investment infrastructure gaps mostly affect the road networks, with it needing almost double the investments.

#13 Kapellbrucke Chapel Bridge - Lucerne, Switzerland

Image credits: rockystl

#14 Storseisundet Bridge - Norway

Image credits: rockystl

#15 Another Image Of The New Bicycle Storage In Amsterdam, With Space For 7000 Bikes Below The Water In Front Of Central Station

Image credits: Redditing-Dutchman

All in all, that’s quite a lot to consider. However, on top of it all engineers don’t forget about the aesthetics of the projects they develop. They not only try to strike a balance between all the variables at hand, they also aim to build something beautiful. These images are a proof of their excellence.

#16 A Novel High Voltage Electricity Pylon Called 'Bog Fox, In Estonia By Part Architects

Image credits: r_sole1

#17 The Falkirk Wheel, A Rotating Boat Lift In Scotland. It Replaces The Original 11 Locks On The Forth And Clyde Canal Junction With The Union Canal

Image credits: Stotallytob3r

#18 Banff Wildlife Crossing Project, Banff, Alberta, Canada. Combined With Fencing To Keep The Animals Off The Road, The Structures Have Reduced Animal-Vehicle Collisions In The Area By More Than 80%

Image credits: morganmonroe81

#19 Someone Recommended That I Post This Denver Lightrail Station Entrance On Here

Image credits: RCsSnaps

#20 A Cycle Path That Goes Through A Lake In Bokrijk, Belgium

Image credits: Stotallytob3r

#21 The Bridge Over The Mountain Spring Lake In Romania [oc][1772x1181]

Image credits: NudeArtRomania

#22 The Entrance To What Once Was The Longest Railway Tunnel In The World. Northern Line, London Underground

Image credits: Stotallytob3r

#23 Dedicated Bus Lanes In The Middle Of The A40 Autobahn In Essen, Germany

Image credits: catp2

#24 Royal Gorge Bridge - Fremont County, Colorado

Image credits: rockystl

#25 The Lner Azuma Train Crosses Edinburgh's Forth Bridge

Image credits: Brilliant__5280

#26 The Ancient Roman Aqueduct In Segovia, Spain - Standing Since The 1st Century

Image credits: EssoEssex

#27 Road Cut Through Taroko Gorge, Taiwan [oc]

Image credits: loki_racer

#28 Temporary Road Build Around A Landslide In Fukui Prefecture, Japan

Image credits: biwook

#29 Public Elevator In Luxembourg, Free As All Other Public Transportation

Image credits: MaxiKing121

#30 Tram From 1926 Still In Active Traffic On The Streets Of Stockholm, Sweden, November 2022 [4080x3072]

Image credits: kattmedtass

#31 Aqueduct Of Valens, Built In The Year Of 368 Ad In Constantinople

Image credits: senolsanbari

#32 The Stockholm Telephone Tower With Approximately 5,500 Telephone Lines, 1890 [1600x1238]

Image credits: kairatsh

#33 The Largest Solar Farm In The World: 14,000 Acres Located In Rajasthan, India

Image credits: Wamges

#34 Bay Bridge, Looking Toward San Francisco From Treasure Island

Image credits: excitom

#35 Crystal Palace Transmitter, London

Image credits: mellonians

#36 The Mozes Bridge (Loopgraafbrug) - Fort De Roovere, Halsteren, Netherlands

Image credits: rockystl

#37 Suspension Rail In Wuppertal, Germany

Image credits: footour

#38 Giantic Bridge In Germany, 158 Meter Tall, 1702 Meters Long

Image credits: According_South_2500

#39 Roundabout With Tram Passing Thrue, Karlsruhe, Germany

Image credits: Iceliker

#40 The Metro In Lausanne, Switzerland - The Smallest City In The World To Have A Full Metro System

Image credits: biwook

#41 Palo Verde Nuclear Powerplant. Located 45 Miles From Phoenix Az, The Plant Uses The Cities Treated Sewage Water For Cooling. It Is The Only Nuclear Plant In The Us Not Located On A Major Body Of Water

Image credits: wadamday

#42 The Tientsin Eye Yongle Bridge - Tianjin, China

Image credits: rockystl

#43 Clifton Suspension Bridge - Bristol, England, UK

Image credits: rockystl

#44 Germany Has Highway Strips That Can Be Instantly Transformed Into Emergency Airfields, Serving As Auxiliary Military Air Bases

Image credits: dominik-braun

#45 2004 Photo Of The Millau Viaduct In Southern France Under Construction

Image credits: morganmonroe81

#46 Bharati, India's 2nd Research Centre In Antarctica

Image credits: TheLastMomBender

#47 Huangjuewan Interchange

Image credits: biwook

#48 Under Manchester Streets

Image credits: abaganoush

#49 The Ashalim Power Station In The Negev Desert, With The Tallest Solar Tower In Israel

Image credits: abaganoush

#50 High Bridge Over Nature Preserve

Image credits: DeadLeadbetter

#51 Sometimes It's Not The Name, It's The Shape. Presenting The Newmarket Health Centre

Image credits: kjl0904

#52 Lacerda Elevator, Salvador, Brazil. It Is The First Public Elevator In The World. Built In 1873, When It Opened It Was The Tallest Elevator In The World At 63 Meters High

Image credits: Rondic

#53 Worli-Bandra Sea Link, Mumbai, India

Image credits: Acrobatic_Effect4907

#54 Konkan Train Route, India

Image credits: depressed-n-awkward

#55 Monorail Passes Through Liziba Station In Chongqing, China. It Passes Through The Sixth And Eighth Floors Of The 19-Story Apartment Building

Image credits: congratsonyournap

#56 Two Indian Trains Cross Each Other Near Manmad Station In India

Image credits: Low-Newt-180

#57 Rotterdam, 25 Years Ago And Now

Image credits: seamanplays

#58 Jacksonville, Florida Interchange

Image credits: rockystl

#59 Suspension Railway - Wuppertal, Germany

Image credits: rockystl

#60 Bharati Research Station Of India In Antarctica

Image credits: Low-Newt-180

#61 Oil Rig In Brage Oil Field Located In The North Sea 120 Km Northwest Of The City Of Bergen

Image credits: fattyfoods

#62 USB Type Shaped Port, Rheinhäfen Karlsruhe, Germany

Image credits: multi_tasker01

#63 London Bridge Station From The Shard

Image credits: OtterlyFoxy

#64 Sea Cliff Bridge - Highway 1 - Australia

Image credits: rockystl

#65 A Roundabout Bridge In Uruguay

Image credits: Marciu73

#66 Jacob’s Ladder On The Remote Atlantic Island Of St. Helena Is One Of The Longest Straight Stairways In The World, Rising 183m

Image credits: Stotallytob3r

#67 Viaduct 13, Brazil. It Is The Tallest Viaduct In The Americas And The Second Tallest In The World. It Is 143 Meters High And Was Built In The 1970s

Image credits: Rondic

#68 Tortosa Market At 40.5°, Tortosa (Catalonia)

Image credits: atzucach

#69 Marienbrucke Pedestrian Bridge - Schwangau, Germany

Image credits: rockystl

#70 3 Freight Trains Of Indian Railways In Konkan, Maharashtra, India

Image credits: Low-Newt-180

#71 Panama Canal Locks Under Construction In 1912

Image credits: morganmonroe81

#72 Séliš Ksanka Ql’ispé Dam At Polson, Montana, United States

Image credits: Neumean

#73 This Is The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel. It Will Fill With Water To Protect Tokyo From Flooding. The Concrete Support Towers Are 18m Tall

Image credits: ldoot

#74 Due To The Destruction Of A Certain Russian Bridge, The Vasco De Gama Bridge In Lisbon, Portugal Is Now The Longest (Usable) Bridge In Europe

Image credits: Tayo826

#75 Peljesac Bridge, Croatia, Night Before The Opening Day

Image credits: r_bubyy

#76 Metro Tunnel Ready For Trial Runs, Mumbai, India

Image credits: LimpMusician2069

#77 The Delhi–mumbai Expressway Is A 1,350 Km Long, 8-Lane Wide Under-Construction Access-Controlled Expressway Connecting India's National Capital New Delhi With Its Financial Capital Mumbai

Image credits: reddit.com

#78 Crews Await Skytrain Tbm Breakthrough While Traffic Moves On Broadway Street Above - Vancouver, Canada

Image credits: AdapterCable

#79 Highway 99 Above, Highway 1 And Bc Ferries Queue Below - West Vancouver, Canada

Image credits: AdapterCable

#80 Three Trains Passing At A Time Through Mukundara Hills National Park. Rajasthan, India

Image credits: crowbiriyani

#81 The Tijuana International Airport In Mexico Has A Terminal In The Us Which Is Connected To The Main Building Through A Bridge Over The Border

Image credits: gahte3

#82 Safety And Alignment Improvements Taking Shape On The Transcanada Highway. Highway 1 Is One Of The Deadliest Sections Of Roadway In The Country. Canadian Rockies, British Columbia

Image credits: AdapterCable

#83 Newly Inaugurated Cycling And Walking Track In Bengaluru, India

Image credits: Low-Newt-180

#84 This Not A Town, This Is A Single Chemical Plant In Burghausen, Germany (Wacker Chemie Ag)

Image credits: Tackerta

#85 Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

Image credits: chipkali_lover

#86 Nh 44, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India. The Longest National Highway In The Country. Picture: The_prabster (Ig)

Image credits: Qwertz275_

#87 The Personal Rapid Transit In At Wvu In Morgantown, Wv. It Has 69 Autonomous Cars That Run Along An 8.7-Mile Guideway System With 5 Stations

Image credits: WaddlesJP13

#88 Road To Nowhere, Monument Valley, Az, USA

Image credits: Position_Extreme

#89 New Solar Plant In Campeche, Mexico

Image credits: Spascucci

#90 One Of The 10 Largest Solar Plants In The World Under Construction In Mexico

Image credits: Spascucci

#91 Construction Of The Mayan Train Cutting Through The Jungle In Mexico

Image credits: Spascucci

#92 Shenzhen, China’s Newest Transit Hub, Gangxia North Station, Which Connects 4 Metro Lines

Image credits: wolegequ_

#93 Boston

Image credits: DefinitelyNotGreg

#94 Elevated Tram At The Detroit Metropolitan Airport [oc]

Image credits: TheGummiFather

#95 Vancouver, Bc From The Window Of An Airplane [oc]

Image credits: Koblootski

#96 The Mini Subway System Underneath The Us Capitol. It Has Two Lines, Six Stops Total, And A Maintenance Bay

Image credits: WaddlesJP13

#97 Elizabeth Line British Rail Class 345 Bombardier Aventra Electric Multiple Unit (Emu) Train At Farringdon Station, London, UK

Image credits: HighburyAndIslington

#98 Pedestrian Walkway Under The Subway Viaduct. Bangkok

Image credits: tannerge

#99 Williamsburg Bridge, Brooklyn, NY

Image credits: EssoEssex

#100 Paddington Station On The Elizabeth Line, London, UK

Image credits: HighburyAndIslington

#101 FedEx Superhub Memphis, Tn - Over 90 FedEx Aircraft In This Picture Alone!

Image credits: meir_ratnum

#102 No One Does Train Stations Like China

Image credits: reddit.com

#103 Arches Railway Bridge, Brazil

Image credits: Rondic

#104 A Renovated Section Of Penn Station, New York

Image credits: Redditing-Dutchman

#105 Train Dock In Duluth, Minnesota. Photo Credit Dave Schauer

Image credits: itsarace1

#106 They Started Digging Foundation For That 170 Kilometers Long Building In Saudi Arabia

Image credits: biwook