1915 Çanakkale Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 1915 Çanakkale Bridge Dardanelles Bridge 1915 Çanakkale Köprüsü Çanakkale Boğaz Köprüsü
Çanakkale bridge in September 2025
Coordinates	40°20′24″N 26°38′10″E / 40.34000°N 26.63611°E / 40.34000; 26.63611
Carries	6 lanes of O-6 Maintenance walkways on each side
Crosses	Dardanelles
Locale	Çanakkale Province, Turkey
Official name	1915 Çanakkale Köprüsü
Characteristics
Design	Suspension
Total length	4,608 m (15,118 ft)
Width	45.06 m (148 ft)
Height	334 m (1,096 ft)
Longest span	2,023 m (6,637 ft)
Clearance below	70 m (230 ft)
History
Designer	COWI A/S and PEC (Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants)
Constructed by	Daelim, Limak, SK, Yapı Merkezi
Construction begin	March 2017
Construction end	26 February 2022
Opened	18 March 2022; 4 years ago (2022-03-18)
Statistics
Toll	₺585

The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge (pronounced "Cha-nak-ka-leh") is an amazing road bridge in northwestern Turkey. It is a suspension bridge, which means it hangs from strong cables. This bridge connects two sides of the Dardanelles Strait. This strait is a narrow waterway that links the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

This incredible structure holds a world record! It is the longest suspension bridge in the world. Its main section, called the main span, stretches for 2,023 meters (about 1.25 miles). This makes it 32 meters longer than Japan's famous Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.

The bridge officially opened on March 18, 2022. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan celebrated its completion after about five years of building. It is a key part of a new 321-kilometer (200-mile) motorway. This motorway helps connect different parts of Turkey.

The name "1915" is very special. It honors an important historical event for the Ottoman Empire during the Gallipoli campaign. This campaign involved a naval attack and land invasions in 1915. The bridge is the first permanent crossing over the Dardanelles. It is also the sixth major crossing in the Turkish Straits, including other bridges and tunnels.

How Was This Amazing Bridge Built?

Designing a Giant

Building such a huge bridge needed many experts. Companies from Turkey, Denmark, and South Korea worked together on the design. They planned everything, from the strong cables to the parts that connect the bridge to the land. Other companies from the UK and Norway checked their plans carefully.

The entire bridge, including its connecting roads, stretches for an incredible 4,608 meters (about 2.86 miles). This makes it the longest bridge of any kind in Turkey! Its two main towers stand 334 meters (about 1,096 feet) tall. This makes them the tallest bridge towers in Turkey. They are also among the five tallest bridge towers in the world.

The bridge deck, where cars drive, is 45.06 meters (about 148 feet) wide. It has six lanes for traffic, three going in each direction. There are also special walkways on each side for maintenance workers.

The Cost of a Mega-Project

Building the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge was a massive project. It cost about 2.5 billion euros (which is around 2.7 billion US dollars). Even though it was expensive, leaders believe it will save a lot of money each year. It helps reduce fuel use and pollution, saving about 415 million euros annually.

A Look Back: The Bridge's Journey

From Idea to Reality

People have dreamed of a bridge over the Dardanelles Strait for a long time. Ideas for this bridge first appeared in the 1990s. The Turkish government added it to their list of important projects in 2014. In September 2016, the plan to build the bridge officially began.

Companies submitted their proposals to build the bridge in 2017. A group of companies from Turkey and South Korea won the contract. These included Limak Holding, Yapı Merkezi, DL Holdings, and SK Ecoplant.

Important Dates in Construction

Construction of the bridge started in March 2017. Workers completed the second main tower on May 16, 2020. This tower stands on the Gallipoli side of the strait. By November 13, 2021, all the main sections of the bridge deck were in place.

The bridge was originally planned to open in September 2023. However, the teams worked quickly, and it opened earlier. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge welcomed its first cars on March 18, 2022. It is a toll bridge, meaning drivers pay a fee to cross it.

Why "1915"? The Bridge's Special Meaning

The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has many special numbers and dates. These details honor important moments in Turkish history.

• The "1915" in its name is a tribute to a significant historical event.
• The bridge opened on March 18, which is also a special date.
• These dates remember a notable naval victory on March 18, 1915. This event happened during the Gallipoli campaign.

Even the length of the bridge's main span is symbolic. It is 2,023 meters long. This number celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. The Republic was founded in 1923, and its centennial was in 2023.

Images for kids

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  Western tower, March 2020

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  The bridge near completion

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  1915 Çanakkale Bridge Commemorative Coin

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  Lapseki toll booths of the bridge

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  A comparison of the side elevation of the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge to the side elevations of some of the most notable bridges around the world on the same scale

See also

• Osman Gazi Bridge
• Istanbul Canal
• Other crossings of the Turkish Straits:
  • Bosphorus Bridge
  • Eurasia Tunnel, undersea tunnel, crossing the Bosphorus for vehicular traffic, opened in December 2016
  • Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
  • Great Istanbul Tunnel, a proposed three-level road-rail undersea tunnel
  • Marmaray Tunnel, undersea rail tunnel connecting the Asian and European sides of Istanbul
  • Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
  • Xerxes' Pontoon Bridges, an ancient attempted crossing at a similar location (480 BC)