Technology that bridges our dreams.The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, approximately 3,910 meters long, linking Honshu, Japan's main island, with Awaji Island, is the longest suspension bridge in the world. The foundations were constructed in sea channels flowing at 4 meters per second and 110 meters deep at the deepest point. The main towers are 300 meters tall with cables one meter in diameter suspending bridge girders as heavy as 90,000 tons. The bridge's construction represents the culmination of modern civil engineering technologies. The center span is 1,991 meters long and the base anchorage, which the cables are fastened to, weighs 350,000 tons. The total length of cable used was 300,000 kilometers. These record figures are a result of exceptional technological progress. The impressively wind-resistant and earthquake-resistant* design, plus its majestic appearance, make the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge one of the 20th century's finest achievements in bridge technology. The traffic and interest that the bridge will bring to the Kansai region is sure to affect the future of Japan and the world.
*Photo: Honshu-Shikoku bridge authority
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