Yi Sun-sin Bridge, Suspension bridge in Yeosu and Gwangyang, South Korea
The Yi Sun-sin Bridge is a three-span symmetric suspension bridge with a 2,260 m total length and a 1,545 m main span, carrying four road lanes. Its two light grey concrete towers, each a pair of vertical legs joined by two crossbeams, rise 270 m from round bases in the water. Thin white cables run from the tower tops to the flat grey deck, where vehicles including a red bus cross.
Construction began in October 2007 as part of the approach road to the Yeosu national industrial complex. The bridge opened temporarily from 10 May to 13 August 2012 for the Yeosu Expo, then officially opened on 8 February 2013. It was initially called Gwangyang Bridge until a naming contest in 2007 chose Yi Sun-sin.
The bridge honors Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a celebrated Korean naval commander from the Joseon Dynasty who invented the ironclad turtle ship and successfully defended Korea against Japanese naval invasions in the 16th century.
The bridge carries four vehicle lanes and has a 60 km/h speed limit enforced by average-speed cameras. Two-wheeled vehicles and pedestrians are prohibited by police notice, not by an automobile-only road designation. Maintenance costs are shared by South Jeolla Province (33.3%), Yeosu (42.7%) and Gwangyang (24.0%).
The two 270-metre towers, finished on 10 October 2010, are taller than Denmark's Great Belt Bridge (254 m), Seoul's 63 Building (249 m) and Namsan (262 m). The main span was lengthened from a planned 1,100 m to 1,545 m by paving the deck with epoxy asphalt instead of ordinary asphalt, adding 445 m.
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