Daiichi-Shirakawa bridge, Railway bridge in Minamiaso, Japan
Daiichi-Shirakawa Bridge is a railway crossing that spans across the Tano Gorge in Kumamoto Prefecture, rising about 60 meters above the White River. The structure connects two tunnels on opposite sides of the gorge through a steel arch design.
Built in 1927, the bridge was for many years the highest railway crossing in Japan's rail network. Following the 2016 earthquake, it underwent complete reconstruction and returned to service in 2023.
The red-painted steel arch stands as a landmark of the Minamiaso Railway and is recognized by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers as an important structure. It shapes the gorge's appearance with its distinctive form.
Access to the bridge itself is only possible by train, since it functions exclusively as a railway crossing. Visitors can best observe the structure from viewpoints in the surrounding area.
The bridge required innovative cantilever construction methods due to the deep valley below. This solution allowed engineers to connect both sides of the gorge without needing massive supports at the bottom.
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