A true marvel of modern engineering holds the impressive title of being the world’s longest suspension bridge.
The bridge has revolutionised travel between two major continents – Asia and Europe and spans an impressive 2,023 metres.
Alongside its towering height, the bridge features 318-metre-high red towers on which its steel deck is suspended. It is also the tallest suspension bridge in the world, with the whole structure sitting at a whopping 15,118 feet high.
The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge was named after the Ottoman naval victory against the French and the British during World War I in the same year.
Its awe-inspiring height places Turkey among the world’s greatest engineers, surpassing Japan’s previous record of 1,992 metres for its Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan.
The bridge spans the Dardanelles Strait and connects the Asian and European sides of Turkey, helping to significantly reduce journey times and harness closer ties between the two continents.
Construction of this colossal project began in March 2017 with a joint venture of Turkish and Korean companies. A Danish firm, COWI, led the design.
Its completion was originally scheduled for September 2023 but pushed this date earlier to March 2022.
The bridge eliminates the need for a ferry between Europe and Asia and, according to the Indian Defence Review, has slashed travel time by an impressive 93%.
Previous travel across the Dardanelles Strait required a ferry journey, which took roughly 90 minutes.
Since the bridge’s completion, travel across the waterway has taken a meagre six minutes, with several other added travel benefits.
The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has also seen enhanced connectivity between Lapseki (Asia) and Gelibolu (Europe) and helped boost economic opportunities thanks to the bridge’s improved logistics.
The bridge has also increased tourism among regions on both sides of the strait.
The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge was officially opened by the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after roughly five years of construction.
It cost around £2.1 billion (€2.5 billion) to build and, according to President Erdoğan, has saved roughly £343.3 million (€415 million) per year from a lowering of fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
The bridge is just one of the many major projects in Turkey which President Erdoğan and his AK Party have been involved in.
These projects also included tunnels and a brand-new airport in Turkey’s capital, Istanbul.
