"Pearl Bridge" by Chloé Le Reste, ,

The ‘Akashi Kaikyō Bridge’, also known as ‘Pearl Bridge’, is a Japanese suspension bridge linking the city of Kobe in Honshu and Iwaya on Awaji Island. Designed by civil engineer Satoshi Kashima, its construction started in 1988. The idea to build a connection over the Akashi Strait emerged as it was unsafe to cross the waterway, due to the seismically unstable area that also experiences severe storms. Completed ten years later, it had the world’s longest central span. Its total length is nearly 4km and it counts three spans with two main supporting towers. The suspended bridge is impressive by its structure, designed to withstand earthquakes and harsh sea. Its nickname came from the myriad of patterns and colors illuminating the bridge at night. Besides, during daytime, light reflects on steel with a pearly effect. This bridge became an important axis as around 25k cars are crossing it every day.