Great Seto Bridge, Steel bridge between Honshu and Shikoku, Japan
The Great Seto Bridge is a steel bridge with a combined road and rail link between Kurashiki on Honshu and Sakaide on Shikoku, made up of six connected sections that run for 13,100 meters (8.1 miles) through the Seto Inland Sea. Cars travel on the upper level while trains run on the lower one, with both levels supported by pylons and reinforced concrete.
Construction started in 1978 as a response to a severe ferry accident in 1955 that killed many people and strengthened calls for a safe connection between the islands. Work took a decade and reached completion in April 1988, creating a direct land route between Honshu and Shikoku for the first time.
The structure takes its name from the Seto region and serves both cars and trains that travel daily between the two main islands. Its double-tiered design lets travelers experience the crossing from different perspectives as the inland sea stretches below.
Travelers can complete the crossing by car or train in around twenty minutes, with the journey over the water offering open views of the small islands and the surrounding sea. Sheltered sections on the train route provide more comfort during bad weather.
The lower deck was built to hold four tracks, but only the two central conventional lines were laid; the outer two are reserved for the planned Shikoku Shinkansen. To keep the load balanced, the unused Shinkansen side carries dead weight installed at construction.
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