1915 Çanakkale Bridge, Road suspension bridge over the Dardanelles in Çanakkale province, Turkey
The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge is a steel suspension bridge across the Dardanelles between Gelibolu and Lapseki. Its two towers, formed of red legs joined by white crossbeams, rise 334 m; the deck, 72.8 m above the water and 45.06 m wide, carries six motorway lanes. The main span of 2,023 m is the world's longest, and with approach viaducts the crossing reaches 4,608 m.
Construction began on March 18, 2017, commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli, and the bridge officially opened to traffic on March 18, 2022, after years of planning that dated back to proposals in the 1980s.
The bridge's red and white towers represent the colors of the Turkish flag, while 52-foot (16-meter) sculptures of artillery shells honor Corporal Seyit, who famously carried heavy ammunition during the 1915 Gallipoli campaign.
The bridge reduced crossing time from over 40 minutes by ferry to approximately six minutes by vehicle, with toll fees around 200 Turkish Lira for cars and electronic payment systems facilitating passage for more than 7,000 vehicles daily.
The 318 m figure marks the point where the main cables meet the towers, not the tower tops: with the 16 m, 78-tonne shell sculptures added in late 2022, total height reaches 334 m. The 2,023 m main span honours the republic's centenary of 1923.
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