The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (pictured), then the world's longest suspension bridge, linking Awaji Island and Kobe in Japan, opened to traffic.

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

Suspension bridge in Kobe, Japan

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a suspension bridge that links the city of Kobe on the Japanese island of Honshu and Iwaya, Awaji on Awaji Island. It is part of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, and crosses the busy and turbulent Akashi Strait. It was completed in 1998, and at the…

List of longest suspension bridge spans

The world's longest suspension bridges are listed according to the length of their main span. The length of the main span is the most common method of comparing the sizes of suspension bridges, often correlating with the height of the towers and the engineering complexity…

Awaji Island

Island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan

Awaji Island is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 square kilometres. It is the largest island of the Seto Inland Sea.

Kobe

City in Kansai region, Japan

Kobe, officially Kobe City , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in the Kansai region, which makes up the southern…