Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge

Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge (明石海峡大橋; Akashi-Kaikyō Ōhashi)(also known as Pearl Bridge) is a suspension bridge in Japan that crosses the Akashi Strait (Akashi-Kaikyō) linking Maiko in Kobe and Iwaya in Awaji town on Awaji Island, as part of the Honshu-Shikoku Highway. The central section is the longest bridge span in the world at 1991 m. It was planned to be one of three Honshu-Shikoku connecting bridges, annexing two borders of the Inland Sea.

Related Topics:
Suspension bridge - Japan - Akashi Strait - Kobe - Awaji town - Awaji Island - Honshu - Shikoku - Highway - Longest bridge span - 1991 m - Honshu-Shikoku connecting bridges - Inland Sea

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Before the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge was built, ferries carried passengers back and forth across the Akashi Strait in Japan. This dangerous waterway often experiences severe storms, and in 1955, two ferries sank in the strait during a storm, killing 168 children. The ensuing shock and public outrage convinced the Japanese government to draw up plans for a suspension bridge to cross the strait. The original plan was for a mixed railway-road bridge but when the bridge was begun in April 1986 it was restricted to road only, with six lanes. Actual construction did not begin until May 1988 and the bridge was opened for traffic on April 5, 1998. The Akashi Strait is an international waterway and required a 1500 metre wide lane.

Related Topics:
Railway - Road - 1986 - Lanes - 1988 - April 5 - 1998 - Waterway

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The bridge has three spans. The central span is 1991 metres, with the two other sections each 960 metres. The bridge is 3911 metres long overall. The central span was originally only 1990 metres but was stretched by a further metre in the Kobe earthquake on January 17, 1995. It was designed on a two-hinged stiffening girder system, allowing it to withstand 178 mph winds, earthquakes measuring up to 8.5 on the Richter scale, and harsh sea currents. The bridge also contains pendula which operate at the resonant frequency of the bridge to dampen forces on it.

Related Topics:
Spans - Kobe earthquake - January 17 - 1995 - Pendula - Resonant frequency

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The total cost is estimated at ¥ 500 billion (≈$5 billion).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~