Anchorages, piers, and towers were otherwise undamaged. The bridge was under construction for 10 years. In spite of the dangers associated with this type of construction project, elaborate safety procedures paid off. A couple of accidents resulted in six injuries and no deaths, a world-class safety record. Looking Ahead Now that the world s longest suspension bridge is in service, sights are being set on even longer spans.
Preliminary plans are underway to investigate the feasibility of even longer span bridges in Japan.
Japanese officials indicate that they are looking to extend main span lengths to 2,400 meters, clearly a daunting challenge for suspension bridge design in the new millennium. The author has followed the design and construction of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge since 1985, and he was one of only a dozen foreign officials invited to attend the opening of the bridge. He presented a congratulatory letter from Federal Highway Administrator Kenneth Wykle to the executive director of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority. Va. He received his bachelor s and master s degrees in civil engineering from Syracuse University. He is a licensed professional engineer in the District of Columbia.