Innoshima Bridge, Suspension bridge in Onomichi, Japan
Innoshima Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Bukan Seto strait, connecting Mukaishima and Innoshima in Hiroshima Prefecture. Its steel truss deck is double-decked: the upper level carries the roadway, while the lower truss encloses a roughly 4-meter-wide path for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge is 1,270 meters long with a main span of 770 meters, and its two towers rise 135.85 meters above concrete bases in the water.
Construction began on 8 January 1977 and the bridge opened on 4 December 1983, at a total cost of about 67.5 billion yen. It was the first suspension bridge completed on the Honshu–Shikoku bridge routes and the first Japanese suspension bridge to use a steel deck. Its 770-metre main span made it Japan's longest suspension bridge at the time.
The bridge is part of the Shimanami Kaido expressway system that connects multiple islands in the Seto Inland Sea. It plays an important role in daily life for residents and visitors who travel between island communities.
The upper level is reserved for vehicles while the lower level sits about 58 meters above sea level and opens to pedestrians and cyclists. Both pathways offer views across the strait, and visitors should be prepared for wind conditions that feel stronger at this height.
The strait beneath the bridge is the Bukan Seto, about 800 metres wide, forming the Mihara Seto route, a secondary channel of the Kurushima Strait. Around 400 large vessels pass through it daily, which is why the deck was set 50 metres above the water. The bridge was the first suspension bridge in Japan to use a steel deck plate.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,164 contributors worldwide.
