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The story of 1915 Çanakkale Bridge
Even the height of these towers carries a message: 318 metres, the digits 3 and 18 standing for the eighteenth day of the third month, 18 March 1915, when the Turkish army won its victory at Çanakkale. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, a suspension bridge between Lapseki and Gelibolu, is the first ever to span the Dardanelles.
Its central span of 2,023 metres, chosen for the 100th year of the Republic, beat Japan's Akashi Kaikyō Bridge by 32 metres, making it the world's longest suspension span. Look up at the tower tops: 16-metre, 78-ton shell figures honour the artillery shells Corporal Seyit lifted alone during the war, bringing the total height to 334 metres.
The red and white of the towers refer to the Turkish flag. The idea of a bridge here first surfaced in 1984-1989; the foundation was laid in Lapseki on 18 March 2017, and the bridge opened to traffic on 18 March 2022.
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