Kanmon Bridge, Suspension bridge in Shimonoseki, Japan
Kanmon Bridge is a steel suspension bridge over the Kanmon Straits, linking Shimonoseki on Honshu with Moji-ku on Kyushu. Its main span measures 712 metres within a total length of 1,068 metres, and the deck sits 61 metres above the water. The structure has three spans, with a truss stiffening girder and two towers; the main cables are 67 cm in diameter and the hanger cables 53 cm.
Construction began in June 1968 and the bridge opened to traffic on 14 November 1973, linking the Chugoku and Kyushu expressways. It was then Japan's and East Asia's longest suspension bridge, with a main span of 712 metres. A 20-yen stamp marked the opening, and in 1973 the bridge received the Japan Society of Civil Engineers' Tanaka Award.
The name Kanmon comes from combining parts of the strait's Japanese designation Kanmon-kaikyō. Travelers crossing today notice how the bridge joins two cities with different dialects and local traditions, visible in signage and place names on either side.
Drivers pay a toll when crossing, collected at designated booths on both ends of the structure. The crossing forms part of the Kyushu Expressway network and carries heavy traffic between the two islands throughout the day.
The clearance beneath the roadway deck was calculated to let large cargo vessels and tankers pass through the strait without restriction, accounting for roughly 700 passages each day. Viewing points along the shores allow visitors to watch the continuous ship traffic moving under the span.
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