Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge is called a real miracle of engineering and design that has become a reality. It connects 2 cities located on different banks of the Akashi Strait; the six-lane highway connects the cities of Kobe and Awadazi. Its length is 3,911 meters, the bridge consists of three sections, the central one is located between the pylons, and the other two are connected to the opposite banks.

Interesting facts

Before the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge appeared, communication between the two banks took place by ferry, which took a lot of time and was also very dangerous. In Japan, the water elements are very turbulent, and storms occur very often. So in 1955, 2 ferries carrying children's groups were caught in a storm, and 165 children died. Construction of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge began in 1988, but design work began much earlier. It took engineers, architects and designers more than three years to calculate all the parameters and prepare documents and drawings. The opening of the bridge took place 10 years later, in 1998.

In 1995, a strong earthquake occurred in the city of Kobe, its original landscape changed, so changes had to be made to the design of the bridge, for this purpose construction was stopped for a month. After making all the adjustments, the length of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge changed by 1 meter. The pylons of such bridges were traditionally built of concrete, but this time they were made of metal, and they are also hollow inside. They contain stairs and elevators, as well as a system of pendulums and suspensions, they provide the bridge with resistance to storms and earthquakes. In addition, you can take the internal elevator to the very top of the pylons, the height of which exceeds the height of a 90-story building, and from above you can admire a stunning view of the world across the strait. To install the supports, a unique type of concrete was developed that was not washed away by water, but hardened in it.

Features of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge

It is the longest suspension bridge in the world; it was twice included in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest road surface and the highest support pylons (their height is 283 meters). The Japanese also call it the Pearl Bridge, and its construction cost the country's budget more than $2 billion (according to other sources, twice as much). Initially, it was planned that the railway would run along the bridge along with cars, but at the moment this idea has not been fully realized. A lower tier is provided for trains, and the upper tier is used for vehicles.

A special museum is dedicated to the history of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, where models show in detail each stage of construction. It's very clear here how much work and resources went into this bridge, with over 100 different contractors involved in the work. This is a truly monumental structure, impressing with its size absolutely everyone who sees it. At night, the entire bridge is illuminated with multi-colored illumination. The creators of the bridge claim that its service life is designed for 200 years.