World’s Longest Suspension Bridge Built by Korean Technology Showcases Dignity
DATE 2022.03.23
VIEW 1138
World’s Longest Suspension Bridge Built by Korean Technology Showcases Dignity
The last-stage upper deck installation of the world’s longest suspension bridge was made. DL E&C and SK Ecoplant announced that they finished the upper deck construction of Canakkale Bridge in Turkey on the 23rd. Five months after starting the upper deck installation process in July 2021, they have successfully installed all the upper deck blocks, with the bridge showcasing its dignity as the world’s longest suspension bridge.
The upper deck of a bridge is a structure on which road or sidewalks where cars or people pass through are installed. Canakkale Bridge’s upper deck blocks number 87 in all, and the entire upper deck was completed by connecting the 87 steel-manufactured blocks. The steel plates used for the upper deck manufacturing were supplied in Korea. By transporting the steel plates weighing 50,000 tons in all, with which 7 Eiffel Towers can be made, the blocks were manufactured locally in Turkey. Each block is different in size, with weight ranging from 300 to 1,220 tons. The last block has length of 43.6m, width of 46m, and weight of 1,220 tons, pulled up with four lifting gantries. The working time to float the last upper deck block on water and mount and complete was 12 hours in all. The current process rate is 94%, and DL E&C and SK Ecoplant plan to complete the final-stage construction including upper deck welding and road pavement by the end of January next year.
The Canakkale Bridge project involves constructing the world’s longest 3.6km suspension bridge and a 85km connection road, operating the bridge, and transferring it to the Turkish government. Specifically, it is a BOT (build-operate-transfer)-style private-public cooperation project. The bridge connects the Lapseki and Gelibolu regions in Canakkale Province, Turkey, mutually facing between Canakkale Strait. Costing KRW 3.5 trillion in all, the project is a developer project participated in by DL E&C and SK Ecoplant as the operator of the bridge including designing, procurement, and construction. The total project period is 16 years and 2 months including the construction and operation period.
