Japan's unique 'steep skyward' bridge costs 4.8 trillion

Eshima Ohashi Bridge, spanning Lake Nakaumi, connecting the two cities of Matsue (Shimane province) and Sakaiminato (Tottori province) of Japan is famous for its unique design and is known as having a structure like a 'ship'. roller coaster'.

 Eshima Ohashi Bridge was built in 1997 and completed after 7 years, officially put into operation in 2004. The bridge is about 1.7km long, 11.3m wide, has a main span of 250m long, and has 2 lanes. . The special feature of this bridge is that it has a slope towards the sky, the slope towards Shimane province is 6.1% and the other side is 5.1%, the highest point above sea level is 44.7 meters.

However, this slope is still under control so this bridge is not as 'dangerous' as the images we see on the Internet. A fence system is also equipped for the bridge to help ensure safety for drivers. In fact, cars pass through this bridge quite comfortably.

 Eshima Ohash was built to replace another small bridge to help vehicles cross Lake Nakaumi faster while allowing large ships to travel underneath. The cost of building this giant bridge is more than 200 million USD (more than 4.8 trillion VND).

Because of the special slope, the maximum speed allowed for vehicles traveling on the bridge is 40 km/h. Every day, on average, more than 14,000 vehicles travel back and forth on the bridge.

With its special design, Eshima Ohashi Bridge is not only an important infrastructure but also attracts a lot of people's attention, and has become a famous tourist destination in Japan. The road on the bridge has a view of Nakaumi Lake. At the highest point of the bridge, visitors can see the majestic Daisen Mountain on clear days.

Lesley Montoya

Update 14 October 2023