Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge – Awaji Island and Kobe, Japan

The Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge (Pearl Bridge) in Japan was completed in 1998 and is the world’s longest suspension bridge (measured by the length of the centre span of 1,991 metres/6,532 feet). It links the city of Kobe on the mainland of Honshū to Iwaya on Awaji Island by crossing the busy Akashi Strait. It carries the part of the Honshū-Shikoku Highway.

The bridge is one of the key links of the Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Project, which created three routes across the Inland Sea.

History

Before the Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge was built, ferries carried passengers 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 develop plans for a suspension bridge to cross the strait.

The original plan called for a mixed railway-road bridge, but when construction on the bridge began in April 1986, the construction was restricted to road only, with six lanes. Actual construction did not begin until May 1986, and the bridge was opened for traffic on April 5, 1998. The Akashi Strait is an international waterway which necessitated the provision of a 1,500-metre (4,921 ft) wide shipping lane.

Architecture

The bridge has three spans. The central span is 1,991 m (6,532 ft), and the two other sections are each 960 m (3,150 ft).

The bridge is 3,911 m (12,831 ft) long overall. The central span was originally only 1,990 m (6,529 ft), but the Kobe earthquake on January 17, 1995 moved the two towers sufficiently (only the towers had been erected at the time) so that it had to be increased by 1 m (3.3 ft).

The bridge was designed with a two-hinged stiffening girder system, allowing the structure to withstand winds of 286 kilometres per hour (178 mph), earthquakes measuring to 8.5 on the Richter scale, and harsh sea currents.

The bridge also contains pendulums which are designed to operate at the resonance frequency of the bridge to damp forces. The two main supporting towers rise 298 m (978 ft) above sea level, and the bridge can expand because of heating up to 2 metres (7 ft) over the course of a day(s). The cables are in 350000 ton of concrete. The cables are 1 metre diameter.

Use

The total cost is estimated at ¥ 500 billion (~US$5 billion), and is expected to be defrayed by charging commuters a toll to cross the bridge. The toll is ¥2,300 yen (US$20.00) and is used by approximately 23,000 cars/day.[1]

Nearby attractions

Two parks in proximity of the bridge have been built for tourists, one in Maiko (including a small museum) and one in Asagiri. Both are accessible by the coastal train line.

Technical information

• Carries : 6 lanes of roadway
• CrossesL: Akashi Strait
• Locale: Awaji Island and Kobe
• Maintained by: Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Authority
• Design: Suspension bridge
• Longest span: 1,991 metres (6,532 ft)
• Total length: 3,911 metres (12,831 ft)
• Clearance below: 65.72 meters
• Opening date: April 5, 1998
• Toll: 2,300 Yen or US$20

Incoming search terms:

• Akashi Kaikyō Bridge
• who designed the Akashi Kaikyō
• what is the traffic used kobe japan
• what is the toll on the akashi kaikyo bridge
• what is the toll for the akashi
• tallest bridge in africa
• latest write up on the akashi kaiyko bridge in japan
• japan tallest bridge tour
• bridge construction services in japan
• Awaji Island Japan Bridge Tour