Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge

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The Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge (来島海峡大橋, Kurushima Kaikyō Ō-hashi^?), which connects Oshima and Mashima islands in Japan, is the world's longest suspension bridge structure [1]. The bridge is part of the bigger Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Project connecting Honshū and Shikoku islands.

[edit] Construction

The Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge consists of three successive suspension bridges with six towers and four anchorages. There is a shared anchorage that joins each suspension bridge to the next. Its construction is similar to the western portion of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge which is two successive suspension bridges with four towers and one shared anchorage. The bridge's total length of 4,015 metres (13,173 ft), is just a little longer than the total length of the two tower Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which is 3,911 metres (12,831 ft) meters.

First Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge (来島海峡第一大橋, Kurushima Kaikyō Daiichi Ō-hashi^?), main span 600 metres (1,969 ft), ranks 47th largest two tower suspension bridge
Second Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge (来島海峡第二大橋, Kurushima Kaikyō Daini Ō-hashi^?), main span 1,020 metres (3,346 ft), ranks 16th largest
Third Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge (来島海峡第三大橋, Kurushima Kaikyō Daisan Ō-hashi^?), main span 1,030 metres (3,379 ft), ranks 15th largest