Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway, Kuwait

The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway is a 36.1km-long project (27.5 km off-shore and 8.6 km on-shore) featuring a six-lane sea bridge (eight lanes including two emergency lanes), as well as the construction of around 330,000㎡ large artificial islands (each in the north and south respectively), along with various buildings. This bridge, which stretches across Kuwait City in the south and Subiyah in the north, extends so far that it cannot be seen in its entirety at a single glance. The highlight of the project is the Main Bridge. Positioned at the center of the sea bridge, the 340m long main bridge was constructed as an asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, designed to resemble Kuwait’s national symbol, a traditional sailboat. Cable-stayed bridges, which symmetrically connect the bridge deck and main tower with cables, are common in large-scale bridges. However, asymmetric cable-stayed bridges, where cables are connected to some part of the deck, are extremely rare. Special attention was given to various safety tests at the site to ensure that the main span could withstand the extreme heat of the desert, seawater, and strong winds.