What marvels of engineering could withstand winds of 290 kilometers per hour? That’s the challenge the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge had to meet. This bridge also known as the Akashi Strait Bridge is an amazing feat of engineering.
Before the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, crossing the Akashi Strait was perilous. Ferries braved dangerous waters. A severe storm in 1955 tragically sank two ferries killing 168 people. The Japanese government decided a bridge was necessary to ensure safer passage.
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge connects Kobe on Honshu Island to Iwaya on Awaji Island. Awaji Island then links to Shikoku via the Onaruto Bridge. These bridges form the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project. This project connects Japan’s islands across the Inland Sea.
When the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge opened in 1998, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge. It stretches 3,911 meters. Its central span is 1,991 meters. Two towers support this incredible length. They rise 297 meters above the Akashi Strait. These towers are among the tallest in the world.
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge stands in a seismically active zone. It also faces severe storms. Engineers designed a complex system to counter these forces. Counterweights, pendulums and steel-truss girders help the bridge endure. It can withstand winds up to 290 kilometers per hour. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge can expand and contract up to two meters daily.
Interestingly, the central span’s length changed. It was originally designed to be 1,990 meters. The 1995 Kobe earthquake shifted the towers. The earthquake forced them one meter further apart.
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is sometimes called the Pearl Bridge. This nickname comes from its nighttime illumination. The bridge uses 28 different light patterns and colors. Locals say it resembles pearls on a necklace.
Building the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge was a massive undertaking. The cost was approximately 500 billion Japanese Yen. That’s roughly $3.6 billion. Construction involved over 100 contractors. It required around 2 million workers. They used 180,000 tonnes of steel. 1.4 million cubic meters of concrete were also used.
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is not just a transportation route. It has become a tourist attraction. Around 25,000 cars cross the bridge every day. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge stands as a symbol of human ingenuity and resilience.