Shin-Meishin Mukogawa bridge, Modern traffic bridge in Kobe, Japan
Shin-Meishin Mukogawa Bridge is a modern traffic crossing that spans the Mukogawa River with a distinctive butterfly web design and extradosed cable system. The structure combines precast components manufactured off-site with on-site assembly to achieve consistent quality and reduce construction complexity.
Construction began in 2011 and finished in 2017, with the crossing opening to traffic in 2018. The bridge became part of the Shin-Meishin Expressway network, representing a significant development in modern Japanese bridge engineering.
The bridge received the Tanaka Award from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers in 2016 and became the first Japanese road bridge to win an IABSE Outstanding Structure Award.
The bridge functions as part of an expressway network, so it is accessible primarily by vehicle. For viewing and photography, approaching from nearby public areas or overlooks offers the best perspectives of its structure.
The structure pioneered a butterfly web design in an extradosed bridge, the first of its kind globally, which reduced weight by around 10 percent compared to traditional concrete designs. This innovative approach demonstrated how new structural concepts could improve efficiency without sacrificing stability.
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