Haneda Movable Bridge, Swing bridge in Ota, Japan
Haneda Movable Bridge is a swing bridge on the Metropolitan Expressway Haneda Line over the Ebitori River in Ota, Tokyo. It has two rotating sections, split between the right bank upstream and the left bank downstream, with pivot points set closer to the banks than to the bridge centre. When opened, both sections rotate clockwise to clear the navigation channel.
Construction finished in 1990 and the bridge operated from 1990 to 1998 as part of the Metropolitan Expressway Haneda Line. It provided an alternative route to the underwater Haneda Tunnel that was being developed during that period.
The bridge's name comes from the Haneda district it serves, and its swing span was built because the Ebitori River had to stay open to large vessels serving riverside ironworks. Since 1998 the span has stood unused, kept in place for a possible future role as the up-line detour for the Haneda Tunnel.
The bridge has been out of service since April 1998, so it cannot be crossed by car or on foot. Its southern end adjoins a Metropolitan Expressway road-management facility, and part of the southern roadway is used as an access road for that facility. In February 2022 an expressway technical committee proposed refurbishing the bridge as a detour for the Haneda Tunnel's up line, then making it the main up line while the tunnel serves the down line.
Despite remaining unused for over 25 years, the bridge still shows its original split configuration with separated decks. This unusual design choice reveals the technical solution that was selected for the movable structure.
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