Connecting Kobe to Awaji Island in Japan, the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge is a suspension bridge built between 1988 and 1998 thanks to the efforts of a hundred contractors. Being 3911 meters long, its central reach is now the longest in the world at 1991 meters. Valued at 500 billion Yen, its structure was designed to withstand earthquakes of 8.5 magnitude on the Richter scale.