7. The Kaikyo-Akashi Bridge
Situated on Japan’s Awaji Island and Kobe
Founded in 1998
Price: $3.6 billion
After public pressure forced the Japanese government to take action over the hazardous Akashi Strait, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge was constructed. Prior to the bridge’s construction, Honshu residents were transported to Awaji Island via ferries. The hazardous river is subject to frequent, powerful storms. Plans for the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge were created in 1955 when two boats sank, killing 168 people.
Kaikyo-Akashi Bridge ©Shutterstock/SSean Pavone
The building started in 1988 and took ten years to finish. At a billion-dollar cost, more than a hundred contractors were needed to finish the project. Nicknamed “Pearl Bridge,” the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a six-line suspension bridge. It is a segment of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway (E28).
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