Traveling is exhilarating, right? But let’s face it—the actual travel part can be exhausting. Hours spent in cramped spaces, broken sleep, and less-than-ideal food can make long journeys grueling. If there were a way to cut travel time significantly without missing out on stunning destinations, who wouldn’t jump at the chance?
Well, what if I told you there’s a bridge that connects Europe and Asia and reduces journey time by an astounding 93%?
Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?
Turkish officials thought so too, which is why they built the world’s longest suspension bridge—the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge.
This engineering marvel stretches across the Dardanelles Strait, a vital waterway connecting the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. The bridge links Gelibolu on the European side of Turkey with Lapseki in the Asian region of the country.
This remarkable structure allows travelers to bypass the ferry that once took 90 minutes to cross the strait. Now, those who use the bridge can make the journey in just six minutes.
Can you imagine?
Opening in 2022, the bridge was constructed by Turkish and South Korean companies in just five years, at a cost of $2.7 billion.
“Turkey has overtaken Japan, which previously held the record for the longest bridge in terms of midspan, and now holds first place,” said President Erdogan at the inauguration ceremony.
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum added, “The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge will leave behind a history of collision and conflict and will become a bridge between East and West, marking a new era of peace and prosperity.”
The bridge is rich with symbolism that highlights its importance in Turkish history. For instance, its span of 2,023 meters honors the year 2023, the centenary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. Even the height of the bridge holds meaning, with 318 meters symbolizing March 18, the date when Turkey commemorates the soldiers who died during the Gallipoli campaign.
But why aren’t there more bridges in other parts of the world where it seems logical, like over the 4,000-mile-long Amazon River?
The reason is surprisingly simple: “There is no sufficiently pressing need for a bridge across the Amazon,” says Walter Kaufmann, Chair of Structural Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. Despite the Amazon’s vast length, much of the area surrounding it is sparsely populated, and there are no major roads to connect with a bridge.
You Might Be Interested In:
