祭畤大橋, Collapsed bridge memorial in Ichinoseki, Japan
The Matsurube Bridge was a steel girder structure that crossed the Onikoshizawa Valley, a tributary of the Iwai River. The twisted steel framework now stands at its original location, showing the severe damage from ground movement.
The structure was completed in 1978 and collapsed during a powerful earthquake in 2008 that struck the region. The collapse became a turning point for learning more about earthquakes and ground behavior.
The remains serve as a memorial where visitors reflect on the power of natural forces and the limits of human engineering. At this site, people come to understand how quickly the earth can shift and change.
The site is accessible on foot and you can view the twisted steel structure from various angles. Before visiting, check local weather conditions since the location sits on a slope and can be slippery during rain or snow.
The bridge failed not because of poor design but because the ground beneath one of its supports shifted sideways by several meters. This discovery showed that even well-engineered structures can be powerless against extreme ground movement.
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