DL E&C and SK Ecoplant Receive European Steel Bridge Award for '?anakkale Bridge'

Panoramic view of the ?anakkale Bridge in T?rkiye (Turkey), the world's longest suspension bridge, completed by DL E&C and SK Ecoplant.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] DL E&C and SK Ecoplant have once again demonstrated their world-class bridge engineering capabilities in Europe through the ?anakkale Bridge in T?rkiye (Turkey), the world's longest suspension bridge.

DL E&C announced on the 27th that the ?anakkale Bridge, completed in March in collaboration with SK Ecoplant, received the 'European Steel Bridge Award' from the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS).

The European Steel Bridge Award is presented biennially by the ECCS. It comprehensively evaluates steel bridges across Europe that have been completed with outstanding technology to select the winners. This year's award ceremony was held on the 22nd in Istanbul, T?rkiye.

DL E&C and SK Ecoplant won the European Steel Bridge Award, surpassing over 20 competing projects submitted from across Europe, led by the newly opened ?anakkale Bridge. The judges highly rated the bridge for its advanced technology that ensured high stability against earthquakes and strong winds under harsh site conditions, as the world's longest suspension bridge.

Connecting the continents of Europe and Asia, the ?anakkale Bridge was constructed by DL E&C and SK Ecoplant starting in April 2018 and completed after 48 months of construction. With a total length of 3,563 meters, its main span?the distance between the main towers?is the longest in the world for a suspension bridge. The ranking of suspension bridge technology is determined by the length of the main span. The ?anakkale Bridge surpassed the previous world record holder, Japan’s Akashi Kaiky? Bridge (main span 1,991 meters), to claim the top position globally.

During the construction of the ?anakkale Bridge, DL E&C and SK Ecoplant installed the world's tallest main towers at 334 meters, surpassing the heights of the Eiffel Tower in France (320 meters) and Tokyo Tower in Japan (333 meters). They also showcased K-construction’s outstanding technology to the world through various advanced methods, including the use of ultra-high-strength cables, massive anchorages and caissons, and specially manufactured airplane wing-shaped deck sections.

Notably, this project is a public-private partnership under a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model, where DL E&C and SK Ecoplant completed the suspension bridge and connecting roads, operated them for approximately 12 years, and then transferred them to the local government. DL E&C demonstrated its presence as a global developer by taking charge not only of construction but also project discovery, planning, financing, construction, and operation.

Lee Dong-hee, Head of Civil Engineering Business Division at DL E&C, stated, "The ?anakkale Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge completed with domestically developed technology and materials, continues to be recognized globally for its engineering excellence. Going forward, we will focus on the high value-added global developer market based on our No.1 technology and developer capabilities."