The original plan was for a mixed railway-road bridge but when the bridge was begun in April 1986 it was restricted to road only, with six lanes[?]. Actual construction did not begin until May 1988 and the bridge was opened for traffic on April 5, 1998. The Akashi Strait is an international waterway and required a 1500 metre wide lane.
The bridge has three spans[?]. The central span is 1991 metres, with the two other sections each 960 metres and the bridge is 3911 metres overall. The central span was originally only 1990 metres but was stretched by a further metre following the Kobe earthquake on January 17, 1995.
The total cost is estimated at Yen 500,000,000,000.
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