‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ unveiled in Turkey worth £2.1billion

The ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ in Turkey has now become the world’s longest suspension bridge, spanning two kilometers.

It runs from Gelibolu on the European side of Turkey’s northwestern province of Canakkale to Lapseki on the Asian side of the Dardanelles Strait.

The bridge allows passengers to cross the Dardanelles, which connects the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara, in just six minutes, compared to 90 minutes by boat, a journey that might take up to five hours if waiting times are factored in.

The construction of the ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ cost 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion/£2.1 billion), yet Turkey will save 415 million euros ($458 million/£348 million) year due to lower fuel usage and carbon emissions. The toll for crossing the bridge will be 200 Turkish lira ($13.60/£10.30).

The architecture of the bridge is rich in meaning. Its middle span of 2,023 metres is a nod to the year 2023, when Turkey will commemorate the centennial of the Turkish Republic’s foundation following the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

The bridge’s towers are 318 metres (1,043 feet) tall, a homage to Turkey’s commemoration of soldiers fallen in the Gallipoli sea and land conflicts on March 18 (or 3/18).

The Allied forces forces – Britain, France, and Russia – launched the Gallipoli campaign in World War I with the goal of securing a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul via the Dardanelles and removing the Ottoman Empire from the conflict. The Gallipoli landings on April 25, 1915, marked the commencement of an eight-month-long struggle. The combat claimed the lives of almost 44,000 Allied troops and 86,000 Ottoman forces.