Turkey opens the largest suspension bridge in the world between Asia and Europe

Ankara, 18 Mar Turkey today inaugurated in the Dardanelles Strait a new suspension bridge between Asia and Europe, which, with a total length of 4,068 meters and a span between pillars of 2,023 is the largest in the world of its kind. The one named Çanakkale Bridge 1915 connects Lapseki, on the Asian shore of the Dardanelles, with the Gallipoli, on the European side. The new intercontinental bridge will reduce the crossing time from the 30 minutes it now takes by ferry to just six minutes. The name of the bridge and the date of its inauguration are reminiscent of the victory of the Ottoman troops in the Naval Battle of Çanakkale, on March 18, 1915, as part of the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. The historical connotation is a constant in this construction, as shown by its 318 meters high, which recall the date of the victory (March 18) against France, the United Kingdom and Russia. The 2,023 meters of light, the distance between the pillars, also recalls that next year is the centenary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, while the towers painted in red and white represent the colors of the Turkish flag. “We always talk about connecting history and the future. Today, we are doing it,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the bridge's inauguration ceremony. The event was also attended by Kim Boo-kyum, Prime Minister of South Korea. The infrastructure has been built by a consortium of Turkish and South Korean companies. “Your ancestors had a victory here in 1915, but this bridge will link West and East and bring peace and prosperity,” said the South Korean politician. The work, which began in March 2018 and ends a year and a half ahead of schedule, exceeds in size the Japanese Akashi Kaikyo bridge, the longest in the world so far. The construction, whose budget amounts to 3.1 billion euros (3.41 billion dollars), is the fourth bridge in the country connecting Europe with Asia.