Famous Suspension Bridges

What are suspension bridges?

It is a type of bridge that is built by suspending the roadway from cables attached to a master cable, which runs above the length of the bridge. In addition to being strong and lightweight, suspension bridges are also beautiful, and some of the most famous bridges in the world are also suspension bridges, including New York's Brooklyn Bridge and San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The design of a suspension bridge is quite simple and uncomplicated, and takes advantage of several techniques to distribute the weight of the bridge safely and evenly.

We look at some famous suspension bridges.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge

It is the longest spanning suspension bridge in the world. Its type is 3-span continuous suspension bridge. It is also popularly known as Pearl Bridge. Its construction was finished in 1998. Initially it was supposed to have both road and railway but finally only the road bridge was built. It was opened for traffic on April 5, 1998. Everyday 23,000 cars cross the bridge. It has six lanes of roadway. It crosses the Akashi Strait in Japan. It connects the island of Awaji with the city of Kobe in Japan. Before it was built, ferries carried passengers across the Akashi Strait. During 1955, two ferries sank in the strait during a storm, killing 168 children. The ensuing shock and public outrage made the Japanese government to develop plans for a suspension bridge to cross the strait. A toll of twenty US dollars is charged to cross it. Its total length is 3911 meters and center span is 1991 meters. It cost five billion US dollars to build. The bridge can withstand earthquakes measuring up to 8.5 on the Richter scale, winds of 286 kilometers per hour and powerful sea currents. On January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake caused the bridge to stretch an additional three feet. The length of the cables used in the construction of the bridge totals 300,000 km, which is enough to circle the earth 7.5 times. The two main supporting towers of the bridge measure 298 meters above the sea level. It has a total of 1737 illumination lights. It is owned and maintained by Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority.

Great Belt Bridge

It was the biggest ever construction project in Denmark. The decision to construct was made in 1986 and the actual construction work started in 1988. It connects the main Danish islands of Funen and Zealand, which are separated by the Great Belt Strait. Everyday around 27,600 vehicles cross the bridge. It is 6,790 meters long and has a center span of 1,624 meters. It can be crossed in ten minutes only. It has the East Bridge for road transport, the East Tunnel for rail transport and the West Bridge for road and rail transport combined. The bridge was opened to rail traffic in 1997 and road traffic in 1998.

Humber Bridge

It was opened in 1981 in the United Kingdom and was then the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world. The decision to make it was made on April 30, 1969. Work on the bridge began on July 1972. It spans the Humber estuary, which is formed by the rivers Ouse and Trent. It connects North Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire. Everyday 120,000 cars cross the bridge. The toll for the bridge is 2.70 pounds each way. It has a total length of 2,220 meters and a center span of 1,410 meters.

Mackinac Bridge

It was opened for traffic on November 1, 1957 and has been there for over 50 years. Its construction began in May 1954. It spans the Straits of Mackinac and connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas of the US state of Michigan. Its center span is 1,158 meters. It has the twelfth- longest suspension span in the world. It cost 99.8 million US dollars. It is also known as ‘Mighty Mac’ and ‘Big Mac’. An interesting fact about the bridge’s history is that on April 24, 1959 US Air Force Capt. John Lappo flew a RB-47E Stratojet under the bridge's deck. It costs 3.1 million US dollars a year to maintain the bridge.