The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in northwestern Turkey has become one of the most closely watched modern bridge projects in the world, largely because of the scale of its central span and the symbolism built into its design.
The suspension bridge crosses the Dardanelles, linking the Gallipoli peninsula on Turkey’s European side with the area near Lapseki on the Asian side. Record listings and project descriptions identify its main span as 2,023 metres, a figure that helped it overtake Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge as the longest suspension bridge span when it opened in 2022.
The project has also drawn attention for its cost. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously put the figure at about €2.5 billion, a sum often converted to just over £2 billion. That figure is best treated as the reported project cost rather than a newly audited comparison with every associated road, financing or maintenance expense.
Why the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge stands out
The bridge opened on March 18, 2022, after construction began in 2017. It was built across a route where travellers had long relied on ferries to cross the Dardanelles. Project materials have described the road crossing as cutting the trip over the strait to only a few minutes, replacing ferry journeys that could take far longer depending on schedules, weather and traffic.
The numbers attached to the bridge were not chosen at random. The name refers to 1915, a year tied to the Ottoman victory in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. The 2,023-metre main span is also widely described as a reference to 2023, the centenary year of the Republic of Turkey.
That mixture of engineering record and national symbolism explains why the opening ceremony was treated as more than a transport milestone. Erdogan was reported as describing the bridge as a major statement for Çanakkale and for Turkey’s place among countries capable of delivering very long-span bridge projects.
The key figures at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bridge | 1915 Çanakkale Bridge |
| Location | Dardanelles, northwestern Turkey |
| Connection | European side near Gelibolu to Asian side near Lapseki |
| Opening date | March 18, 2022 |
| Main span | 2,023 metres |
| Reported cost | About €2.5 billion, often converted to just over £2 billion |
| Previous record holder | Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan |
The comparison with the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a narrow but important one. The Turkish bridge is described as having a main span 32 metres longer than the Japanese bridge, which opened in 1998. In bridge rankings, this central suspended span is the measurement that usually determines the record for suspension bridges, rather than total project length or the full distance covered by roads on either side.
That distinction matters because different lists can rank bridges in different ways. Some focus on total length, some on deck length, and some on the main suspended span between towers. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge’s claim rests on that last measurement.
How it changed the Dardanelles crossing
Before the bridge opened, drivers crossing this part of the Dardanelles typically depended on ferry services. The bridge gave road traffic a fixed crossing between the two sides, making the route less dependent on ferry timing and sea conditions.
The project is part of a wider motorway link, so its value is not only in the bridge deck itself. For drivers, freight operators and regional planners, the point is the more predictable connection between European Turkey and Anatolia. That is why the project is often framed as both a landmark structure and a transport corridor.
The bridge also has a strong tourism angle. Travellers interested in engineering, military history or the Gallipoli peninsula now have another reason to pay attention to the region. It is not simply a shortcut across water; it is a highly visible addition to an area already associated with major historical memory.
Italy’s plan could challenge the record
The Turkish bridge may not hold the record forever. Italy has revived plans for a bridge across the Strait of Messina, a long-discussed project intended to connect Sicily with the mainland.
The latest approved design for the Messina project calls for a single suspended span of 3,300 metres. If it is built as planned, that span would be far longer than the 2,023-metre span of the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge and would take the record for the world’s longest suspension bridge span.
The idea is not new. Plans for a fixed crossing between Sicily and Calabria have appeared, stalled and returned over decades. Earlier versions were cancelled or shelved after political, financial and technical objections. The revived version has again brought support from Italian officials, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, while also drawing scrutiny over cost, seismic risk, strong currents and environmental concerns such as bird migration.
Those concerns are central to why the Messina proposal has remained controversial. A bridge of that scale would have to deal with one of Europe’s most challenging marine and seismic environments, while also justifying the public spending and disruption that would come with construction.
What readers should take from the record claim
The clearest way to understand the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge is as a record-holding suspension span, not simply the longest bridge of any kind. Its 2,023-metre main span is the figure behind the headline, while its location across the Dardanelles gives it the unusual distinction of linking the European and Asian sides of Turkey by road.
The cost, timing and symbolism are all part of the story, but they should be read carefully. The reported €2.5 billion cost comes from political statements around the project, and comparisons with other bridges can vary depending on what expenses are included. The travel-time claims also depend on the route being compared, because a bridge crossing and a ferry journey are not measured in exactly the same way.
Even with those caveats, the bridge remains a major engineering landmark. It shortened a historically important crossing, gave Turkey a high-profile infrastructure record and set a benchmark that Italy’s proposed Strait of Messina Bridge is now aiming to surpass.