昭和橋, Bridge over Sagami River in Kanagawa, Japan
Showa Bridge spans the Sagami River to link Atsugi City and Sagamihara City, with a two-lane roadway and a separate pedestrian path running alongside. The structure stretches roughly 364 meters and carries Kanagawa Prefectural Road 508.
A ferry called the Taima (Kamiichi) crossing served the Hiraoka-Hachioji and Saitama roads here. In 1892 the Taima side began charging a fare. A temporary bridge built by the Konoe Engineer Corps in 1925 was washed away by a flood, and the ferry was damaged in the 1928 flood. Reconstruction led to the bridge's opening in November 1931.
The name refers to the Showa era: the original bridge, finished in the early Showa years, was named to symbolise the new age. Before the bridge, a ferry called the Taima (Kamiichi) crossing carried travellers on the Hiratsuka-Hachioji and Saitama routes; in 1892 the Taima side began charging a fare.
The bridge provides a direct passage between Atsugi and Sagamihara for both vehicles and pedestrians, with clear separation of traffic and foot paths. The pedestrian walkway allows safe crossings, though daytime hours can bring heavy traffic.
About 500 metres upstream stands the New Showa Bridge, opened in 1979 on the National Route 129 Atsugi-Sagamihara bypass. At the time it was among the largest bridges managed by Kanagawa Prefecture, costing roughly 2.7 billion yen, and it is listed among the 100 bridges of Kanagawa.
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