1915 Çanakkale Bridge

The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge crosses the Dardanelles strait in Turkey with a main span of 2,023 metres. It opened in March 2022 and beat Japan's Akashi Kaikyō Bridge (1,991 m). The span length was chosen to honour 2023, the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

Longer spans are reported to be under construction in China, so check this record on a regular schedule.

Context

A suspension bridge's span is the distance between its two main towers, because that unsupported stretch is the hardest part to build. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has a main span of 2,023 metres, and its total length including approach viaducts is a little over 4.6 kilometres. It links the European and Asian shores of the Dardanelles near Gallipoli and Lapseki.

The number 1915 refers to the year of the naval Battle of Çanakkale during the First World War, and the span of 2,023 metres points to the centenary of the Turkish Republic in 2023. The bridge opened in March 2022, taking the span record from Japan's Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, which had held it since 1998 with 1,991 metres.

Records like this do not last forever. Several projects with longer main spans have been announced or reported as under construction elsewhere, so the title should be checked against a current list of the longest suspension bridges before it is quoted as permanent.