Akashi Kaikyō Bridge

明石海峡大橋 akashi-kaikyô-ôhashi

Japanese strait crossing bridge / japanische Meerenge-Brücke

Kôbe City / Awaji City – completed 1998

The Akashi-kaikyô-ôhashi (‘Great Akashi Strait Bridge’) over the Akashi Strait – opened to traffic on the Honshû-Shikoku motorway in April 1998 – connects the main island of Honshû with the city of Awaji / Awaji Island in Maiko / Kôbe City. Its total length is 3,911 metres, the longest free-hanging section is 1,991 metres. This makes the bridge one of the largest span in the world. The bridge, which was under construction at the time of the Hanshin earthquake in 1995, was pushed apart by one metre.