Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

A suspension bridge in Japan connecting Kobe with Awaji Island across the Akashi Strait. Opened in 1998, it is known for its exceptionally long central span.

Suspension bridge: A bridge whose deck hangs from main cables supported by towers and anchored at both ends. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge carries its roadway through this structural form.
Honshu–Shikoku Bridge Project: A Japanese infrastructure program that built road and rail links between Honshu and Shikoku via inland-sea crossings. The Akashi Kaikyo crossing was one of the program’s major road links.
Awaji Island: An island in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, between Honshu and Shikoku. The bridge’s eastern approach reaches Awaji Island.
Great Belt Fixed Link: A Danish transport connection across the Great Belt, including a suspension bridge with a long central span. It offers a European comparison for long-span suspension bridge design.
Main cable: A bridge cable that carries tension between anchorages and supports the deck through vertical suspenders. Its enormous cables transfer the bridge deck’s load to the anchorages.
Akashi Strait: A strait in Japan separating Kobe on Honshu from Awaji Island. The bridge was built across this busy, weather-exposed waterway.
Kobe–Awaji–Naruto Expressway: A Japanese expressway connecting Kobe, Awaji Island, and Naruto on Shikoku. The bridge carries the expressway across the Akashi Strait.
Golden Gate Bridge: A suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in San Francisco, opened in 1937. Its familiar profile contrasts with the Akashi bridge’s longer main span and later engineering.
Bridge tower: A tall structural support that carries bridge cables or deck loads toward the foundations. The two towers support the main cables across the strait.
Shikoku: The smallest of Japan’s four principal islands, south of Honshu and east of Kyushu. The bridge forms part of a road route linking Honshu toward Shikoku.

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