Linking two continents – monumental bridges of Turkey

Source: asia.nikkei.com

Turkey already has some amazing bridges, but now they plan to construct the world’s longest bridge span over the Dardanelles Straits linking Europe with Asia.  Designed to shorten the travel time between the major southern city of Izmir and Eastern Europe, as well as ease traffic congestion in and around the Istanbul area, the Canakkale Suspension Bridge will have an 6,637 foot (2,023 meter) main span. Construction is to begin in 2016 with completion in 2023.

Bosporus Suspension Bridge in Istanbul – Source: cdn.hiconsumption.com

Here’s a list of some of the awesome bridges built over the past 40 years or under construction in Turkey that have helped bind the cross-channel linkages between the continental Europe and Asia. Please note the Izmit Bay Bridge does not directly link Europe with Asia, but all four others do or will upon completion:

• Canakkale Suspension Bridge (2023): 6,637 foot main span – World’s longest bridge span once completed
• Izmit Bay Suspension Bridge – Izmit (2017): 5,090 foot main span – World’s fourth longest bridge span once completed
• Yavus Sultan Selim Cable-Stayed Bridge – Istanbul (2015): 4,619 foot main span
• Fatih Sultan Mehmet Suspension Bridge – Istanbul (1988): 3,580 foot main span
• Bosporus Suspension Bridge – Istanbul (1973): 3,524 foot main span – First link between Europe and Asia (see photo above)

SOURCES:

• http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-turkey-to-bridge-the-dardanelles-in-new-mega-project-2014-11?op=1
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%87anakkale_Suspension_Bridge
• http://r.duckduckgo.com/l/?kh=-1&uddg=http%3A%2F%2Fasia.nikkei.com%2FBusiness%2FCompanies%2FIHI-keen-to-build-world-s-longest-suspension-bridge-in-Turkey
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus_Bridge
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yavuz_Sultan_Selim_Bridge
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatih_Sultan_Mehmet_Bridge
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0zmit_Bay_Bridge