It was completed in 1998,[1] and at the time, was the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world,[3] at 1,991 metres (6,532 ft).

[5] The Sekirei Maru sinking [ja] in stormy weather in December 1945, while carrying more than three times its capacity of 100 passengers, killed 304 people, first stirring public discussion on the possibility of a bridge over the span.

The ensuing shock and public outrage convinced the Japanese government to develop plans for a bridge to cross the strait.

[6] Investigations for a bridge across the strait were first conducted by the Kobe municipal government in 1957, followed by an evaluation by the national Ministry of Construction in 1959.

In 1973, a bridge with a central span of 1,780 meters on the route was approved, but construction was halted due to poor economic conditions.

[8] The Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995 did not do substantial damage to the bridge due to anti-seismic building methods.

[9][10] The bridge was opened for traffic on April 5, 1998, in a ceremony officiated by the then-Crown Prince Naruhito and his spouse Crown Princess Masako of Japan along with Construction Minister Tsutomu Kawara.

[4] The bridge was designed with a dual-hinged stiffening girder system, allowing the structure to withstand winds of 286 kilometres per hour (178 mph), earthquakes measuring up to magnitude 8.5, and harsh sea currents.

Sets of three high-intensity discharge lamps in the colors red, green and blue are mounted on the main cables.