Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge
The Akashi-Kaike Bridge is called a real miracle of engineering and design thought, which has become a reality. It connects 2 cities located on different shores of the Akashi Strait, and a six-lane highway connects the cities of Kobe and Awadazi. Its length is 3,911 meters, the bridge consists of three segments, the central one is located between the pylons, and the other two are connected to opposite banks.
Interesting facts
Before the appearance of the Akashi-Kaike Bridge, communication between the two banks took place by ferry, it took a lot of time, and it was also very dangerous. In Japan, the water elements are very turbulent, storms happen very often. So in 1955, 2 ferries carrying children's groups were caught in a storm, then 165 children died. Construction of the Akashi-Kaike Bridge started 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 the documents and drawings. The bridge was opened 10 years later, in 1998.
In 1995, a strong earthquake struck the city of Kobe, its original landscape changed, so it was necessary to make changes to the bridge structure, for this construction was stopped for a month. After making all the adjustments, the length of the Akashi-Kaike Bridge has 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 hollow inside. They have stairs and elevators, as well as a system of pendulums and suspensions, they provide the bridge with stability from storms and earthquakes. In addition, you can use an internal elevator to climb to the very top of the pylons, whose height exceeds the height of a 90-storey building, and from above admire a stunning view of the world across the strait. To install the supports, a unique type of concrete was developed, which was not eroded by water, but solidified in it.
Features of the Akashi-Kaike Bridge
It is the longest suspension bridge in the world, it was twice entered into the Guinness Book of Records for the longest roadway and the tallest 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). It was originally planned that a railway would run along the bridge along with cars, but at the moment this idea has not been fully implemented. A lower tier has been provided for trains, while the upper tier is used for vehicles.
A special museum is dedicated to the history of the Akashi-Kaike Bridge, where each stage of construction is shown in detail on the models. It shows very clearly how much work and resources have been invested in this bridge, more than 100 different contractors participated in the work. This is a truly monumental structure, impressive in its size for absolutely everyone who sees it. At night, the entire bridge is illuminated with multicolored illumination. The creators of the bridge claim that its service life is designed for 200 years.
