Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge, Railway and road suspension bridge in Sakaide, Japan
The Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge is a steel suspension bridge in Sakaide that carries both vehicles and trains across the Seto Inland Sea. The structure spans 1723 meters and rises 194 meters above the water.
Construction of this steel bridge began in 1978 and was completed in 1988, following a ferry disaster that showed the need for safer transportation. The project marked a turning point in regional infrastructure.
The bridge transformed how people moved between previously isolated islands and the mainland, enabling trade and interaction that shaped local communities. You can sense this connection in how the surrounding regions have developed.
You can cross the bridge by vehicle on the upper deck or by train on the lower deck. The crossing takes about 20 minutes and replaces the longer ferry journeys that existed before.
The bridge has two separate levels: cars travel on the upper deck while trains run on dedicated tracks below. This dual-purpose design was innovative and allows multiple forms of transportation to share a single structure.
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