Suehiro Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge in Tokushima, Japan
Suehiro Bridge (末広大橋) is a cable-stayed bridge over the Shinmachi River in Tokushima, linking Minamisuehiro-machi with Showa-machi 8-chome. Completed in 1975, it is 470 m long with a 250 m main span and four traffic lanes. Its two towers are painted in red-and-white aviation obstruction colours.
Suehiro Bridge was built as the core of the Suehiro Toll Road, whose opening ceremony took place on 31 July 1976 and which opened to traffic from midnight on 1 August 1976. Until the Yamatogawa Bridge was completed in 1981, it had Japan's longest central span for a cable-stayed bridge, at 250 m. Tolls were lifted on 1 April 1997, ahead of schedule, to ease congestion on the Kachidoki Bridge.
The bridge's two supporting towers display red and white stripes, following Japanese aviation safety standards for tall structures.
Suehiro Bridge carries four lanes of traffic on the Tokushima East Ring Road (Tokushima Prefectural Route 29), with a 60 km/h speed limit and roughly 30,000 vehicles a day. The only ramp, at Showa-machi, is a half interchange serving the Suehiro direction and posted at 30 km/h. There is no lighting, so the towers are not illuminated at night.
The toll was lifted on 1 April 1997, before the collection period expired, to ease congestion on the nearby Kachidoki Bridge. The toll booth stood in Suehiro 2-chome, and the rates were 200 yen for a standard car, 100 yen for a kei car and 20 yen for a motorcycle.
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