Turkey opens record breaking 1915 Canakkale Bridge

The bridge is 4,608 metres long in total, with a main span of 2,203 metres

A new record-breaking suspension bridge connecting Turkey's European and Asian shores has officially opened.

The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has a total length of 4,608 metres (2.9 miles), a main span - which is the total length of the road between the bridge's two towers - of 2,023 metres and towers at 318 metres high.

The length of the bridge's main span now makes it the longest suspension bridge in the world, passing Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, which previously held the record.

The bridge now has the longest main span in the world

The construction of the bridge began in 2017 and took five years to build with the help of more than 5,000 workers.

It was finished 18 months before the scheduled completion date!

The €2.5 (£2.1) billion bridge was officially opened by Turkey's president Tayyip Erdogan on 18 March.

Drivers will be able to cross the bridge in just six minutes

"These works will continue to provide profit for the state for many years," the president said at an opening ceremony.

The bridge will allow drivers to cross between Asia and Europe in just six minutes. Up until now, the journey took an hour by ferry, with waiting times of up to five hours.