World’s longest suspension bridge opens, connects Europe and Asia [TKB World]

The World’s Longest Suspension Bridge has been opened to the public. This bridge connects Europe and Asia. It has been made jointly by a company of Turkey and South Korea. It has been made for  $270 Million. It took about five years to make. The interesting fact is that this bridge now connects Europe and Asia outside Turkey’s capital Istanbul in just 6 minutes’ journey.

The name of this bridge is 1915 Canakkale Bridge. It connects Jellibolu, a European region outside Istanbul, to Lapsecki in the Asian region. Its name refers to 1915 because the British Army tried to capture the Dardanelles Bay during the First World War. But the Ottoman Empire defeated the British forces. That’s why it has been given a tribute in the name of that victory.

The 1915 Canakkale Bridge is a six-lane road. Three lanes on each side. Its total length is about 4.60 km. The maximum width of the bridge is 45.06 metres. The longest span is more than 2 kms. The height of the road from the bay is 239 feet. It was started on 26 February 2017. Which was completed on 26 February 2022. It has been opened for the general public on 18 March 2022.

The height of both the towers built on this bridge is 1043 feet. It is the second highest bridge in Turkey. The higher bridge than this is Yavuz Sultan Salim Bridge. It is the sixth highest bridge in the world. It takes only 6 minutes to travel through this bridge, whereas earlier it used to take about one and a half hours to cross the gulf by ferry.