Truss-structured bridge beams. The pathway is 47 meters high from the sea surface. Since it has a grating floor, you can see the water surface through it. (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

Inside Great Akashi Strait Bridge

Main structure and features of the Great Akashi Bridge

Takako Sakamoto   - 2 min read

I was nearing the top of the Great Akashi Strait Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world!

The construction of this bridge faced many challenges, like other large-scale constructions in the past. For instance, at the end of this narrow strait is Kobe Port, one of the biggest international ports in Japan, with regular traffic of 1,300 ships a day. This meant they had to fight big waves created by large ships constantly. Furthermore, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred during construction, and created a few meters difference in measurements. Fortunately, they could overcome the difference by reinforcing the structural materials.

Hyogo Prefectural Maiko Park Series 1. Dream Lens 2. Inside Great Akashi Strait Bridge 3. The View from Great Akashi Bridge 4. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall 5. Akashi Sunset 6. Light-Up of Akashi Strait Bridge

Takako Sakamoto

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...