The world's longest suspension bridge was built in Turkey

Hello Friends. The Dardanelles Strait has always been a critical point for Turkey, known for its historical events and great strategic importance. It connects Turkey's island Sea of Marmara with the Aegean Sea, which turns into the Mediterranean. The strait got its name in honor of the nearby ancient city of Dardania. Together with its neighboring Bosphorus, the strait serves as a border between Europe and Asia. Despite its importance, the continents used to be connected by only three bridges and two tunnels through the Bosphorus. And all of them were located in Istanbul, which caused huge traffic jams, both on water and on land. The new automobile suspension bridge, with a total length of 4,608 meters, was opened to traffic on March 18, 2022, connecting the continents of Europe and Asia in The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, with a main span of 2,023 meters, is a candidate for the title of the longest suspension bridge in the world. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took part in the opening ceremony of the suspension bridge, dedicated to the 107th anniversary of the historic victory in the Battle of Çanakkale. The President noted that the bridge over the Dardanelles Strait is yet another symbol of Turkey's development and power. Named after the year of the important naval victory of the Ottoman Empire over the British and French during World War I, the bridge was named the world's longest suspension bridge after the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan, which has a span of 1,992 meters. The distinctive red towers are 318 meters high, which is also the highest of any suspension bridge in the world, according to COE. They are used for suspending the concrete deck of the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge. Experts say that when it comes to choosing a bridge design for such large sections, the choice falls on a suspension bridge, so it is not surprising that the Turks chose this particular design to provide for the longest spans. The main central span can be made very long with a minimum amount of material, which is very effective in building bridges over wide gorges and water barriers. Another important argument in favor of suspension bridges is the fact that they can be built high above the water, so that even the largest ships can pass under them. Being relatively malleable, suspension bridges can bend under high winds or seismic loads without compromising structural integrity, while more rigid bridges need to be built stronger and heavier. Moreover, bridges of this type look very harmonious. One of the most famous examples of this kind of bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge, located at the entrance of San Francisco Bay. According to Turkish reports and statements by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Adil Karaishmiloglu, the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has the following characteristics. Its length is 3,860 meters, and the distance between the two towers or columns is 2,023 meters. It has six lanes, three each way. It is the longest bridge of its kind in the world. It surpassed Japan's Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which held the title at 1,991 meters. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge reduces the travel time between the two banks to six minutes by car, instead of an hour and a half that was previously required to travel by ship. The bridge rests on two 333-meter-long bases on each side, while the height of its towers is 318 meters. That's higher than the Eiffel Tower, which is 300 meters. The total annual savings is 373 million Turkish Liras, or about $85 million. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge became the first bridge connecting the continents of Asia and Europe outside of Istanbul, as well as the first permanent bridge across the Dardanelles Strait, connecting the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean Sea. The bridge connects the two banks of the Sea of Marmara from the Çakırkaya region of the Labaski District on the Asian side of Çanakkale State, the Asian side of the Çanakkale State, and the Südlüge site of the Gallipoli District, the eastern side of Çanakkale. It is noted that the Çanakkale Bridge is of national importance to the transportation line, extending from the Thrace region in the northwest of the country to the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, and it is also important to the Marmara Sea region. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge is the most important section of the highway project linking the states of Tekirdag, Çanakkale, and Balikesir. The project is 352 kilometers long and includes 31 bridges, 30 bridge intersections, and 5 tunnels. The highway also links the cities of Istanbul and Izmir and contributes to facilitating traffic in Istanbul, especially on suspension bridges, and significantly reduces transport costs in the Aegean Sea. Each of the steel strands is said to contain 126 wires, which form the main cables of the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge. A total of 296 strands were used, each 4,330 meters long, and stretched to form the main cables. The total length of the wire used in the steel cables of the bridge is 162,000 kilometers, which is enough to encircle the globe four times. Although the length of the bridge is 3,563 meters with 770 meters of sidespans, the total length of the crossing is 4,608 meters, with approach viaducts which are 365 and 680 meters long. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has three lanes for traffic in both directions and is approximately 45.06 meters wide. There are walkways on both sides of the bridge which are intended for maintenance and repair. There are four monuments above the bridge towers. They symbolize huge cannonballs that a Turkish soldier carried on his back during the 1915 campaign. The bridge is illuminated and painted in the colors of the national flag of Turkey. British analysts wrote, The construction story of this bridge demonstrates the victory of peace and international cooperation. The cranes were brought from Australia, the project was developed by a group of architects from Denmark, and engineers from South Korea helped in the construction. The result is an elegant bridge connecting Europe and Asia. According to the experts, the Turkish government was very interested in the quick construction of the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge because it was a stepping stone on their way to implementing other gigantic projects, so they accelerated the bridge's completion and opened it a year ahead of schedule. The first stone of the bridge was laid on March 18, 2017. Its cost was over 10 billion Turkish Liras, or about 1.2 billion dollars. The bridge was built by 5,000 workers, including 649 engineers and 809 vehicles that were used for heavy equipment. The implementation of the project will allow Turkey to save 415 million Euros per year on fuel and emissions alone. According to expert estimates, the positive economic effect for the Dardanelles Bridge on Turkey's GDP will eventually reach 2.4 billion Euros per year and 118,000 jobs will be created. The new transportation route will make a significant contribution to the development of tourism, facilitate the supply of goods from west and northwest of Turkey, and facilitate transportation between Asia and Europe. The toll on the suspension bridge over the Dardanelles Strait is set at 200 Turkish Liras. However, no fee was charged during the first week of the bridge's operation. Friends, that's all for today. Like the video, subscribe to our channel, and we'll see you next time.