World's longest suspension bridge opens in Turkey

Suspended disbelief! World’s longest bridge is unveiled in Turkey costing $2billion and has a 1.25MILE span between its towers

• The ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ will save Turkey £348million per year in fuel consumption and emissions 
• It allows travellers to cross the Dardanelles Strait in six minutes compared to the previous 90 by ferry  
• The ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ is named after Turkey’s World War I naval victory over a British and French fleet 

With a two-kilometre (2,023m, 6,637ft) span between its towers, the ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ in Turkey has become the world’s longest suspension bridge.

It connects the European and Asian shores of the Dardanelles Strait – a key waterway – from Gelibolu on the European side of Turkey’s northwestern province of Canakkale, with the town of Lapseki on the Asian side.

The bridge allows travellers to cross the Dardanelles – which connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara – in just six minutes compared to the previous 90 minutes by ferry.

With a two-kilometre (2,023m, 6,637ft) span between its towers, the ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ in Turkey has become the world’s longest suspension bridge 

The bridge allows travellers to cross the Dardanelles – which connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara – in just six minutes compared to the previous 90 minutes by ferry 

The bridge’s architecture is awash with symbolism. Its central span of 2,023 metres is in recognition of the year 2023, when Turkey celebrates the centenary of the founding of the Turkish Republic following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire 

The ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ cost 2.5billion euros ($2.7billion/£1.5billion) to build but Turkey will save 415million euros ($458million/£348million) per year from a reduction of fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The bridge’s toll will be 200 Turkish lira ($13.60/£10.30).

The bridge’s architecture is awash with symbolism. Its central span of 2,023 metres is in recognition of the year 2023, when Turkey celebrates the centenary of the founding of the Turkish Republic following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. 

The height of the bridge’s towers is 318 metres (1,043ft) – a nod to March 18 (or 3/18), when Turkey commemorates soldiers killed during the Gallipoli sea and land battles.

The height of the bridge’s towers is 318 metres (1,043ft) – a nod to March 18 (or 3/18), when Turkey commemorates soldiers killed during the Gallipoli sea and land battles 

The ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ cost 2.5billion euros ($2.7billion/£1.5billion) to build but Turkey will save 415million euros ($458million/£348million) per year from a reduction of fuel consumption and carbon emissions 

Speaking at the inauguration, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said: ‘The 1915 Canakkale Bridge (pictured above) will leave this history of collision and conflict behind and will be a bridge between East and West, starting a new era of peace and prosperity’

The World War I Gallipoli campaign by the Entente powers – Britain, France and Russia – aimed to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottoman Empire out of the war. The April 25, 1915, Gallipoli landings marked the start of a fierce battle that lasted for eight months. Around 44,000 Allied troops and 86,000 Ottoman soldiers died in the fighting. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony on March 18, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: ‘Turkey has overtaken Japan, which has the longest bridge in the world in terms of the midspan, and has taken the first place.’

The inauguration was timed to coincide with the 107th anniversary of Turkey’s World War I naval victory over the joint British and French fleet attacking the Dardanelles. The failure of the naval campaign led to the ill-fated 1915 landings on the Gallipoli peninsula by the allies, led by Britain and France, along with troops from Australia and New Zealand.

The bridge was built by a consortium of Turkish and South Korean companies, and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum also attended the inauguration.

He said the bridge would strengthen the bonds between Turkey and South Korea, adding: ‘The 1915 Canakkale Bridge will leave this history of collision and conflict behind and will be a bridge between East and West, starting a new era of peace and prosperity.’ 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pictured above speaking at the opening ceremony in March, said: ‘Turkey has overtaken Japan, which has the longest bridge in the world in terms of the midspan, and has taken the first place’. South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is seen here to the left of the Turkish President

The inauguration ceremony was timed to coincide with the 107th anniversary of Turkey’s World War I naval victory over a joint British and French fleet attacking the Dardanelles. Pictured above is Erdogan delivering a speech during the event

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