by DoDo
Sun Feb 10th, 2008 at 03:01:25 PM EST
I'm stealing PeWi's series for an issue. I passed by the in-construction Colbert Bridge again:
Unfortunately, this stayed-cable bridge with a 300 metre centre span will carry a highway: the Northern section of the M0 ring around Budapest.

The bridge with the temporary name M0 North Danube Bridge will be called Megyeri híd (for two nearby districts of Budapest), a decision that 'dismissed' the choice of an internet vote.
East pylon (the two pylons are 100 m high):

The winner of the internet vote for the bridge's name was American comedian Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report (and earlier The Daily Show).
The webmaster of the builders did a lousy job and multiple voting was easy -- at first. When Colbert got wind of the news that funny netizens pushed Chuck Norris into lead, he called on the Colbert Nation to put him there instead. With success.
West Pylon:

The webmaster responded by re-starting the vote with better controls, but by then the avalanche started, and Colbert won again. He brought it up several times on his show. The Hungarian Ambassador to the USA sensed the country-marketing opportunity, and visited the show himself. Colbert is invited to the opening...
(Also see Wiktiality entry.)