Minato Bridge, Cantilever truss road bridge in Minato-ku and Suminoe-ku, Osaka, Japan
Minato Bridge is a three-span cantilever truss bridge with two decks, linking Minato-ku and Suminoe-ku across Osaka Bay. Its central span of 510 metres is the longest truss span in Japan and the third longest in the world. The red steel structure rises 68.5 metres above its supports, and the lower deck sits more than 50 metres above the water to let container ships pass.
The bridge opened in 1974 as a pioneering structure for the Hanshin Expressway system. It represented an important step in connecting the bay's industrial districts with modern infrastructure.
The bridge received the Tanaka Award from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers in 1974 and again in 2007 for its engineering accomplishments.
The bridge carries only expressway traffic on both decks, so there is no pedestrian walkway or lift; it is crossed by car or bus. The deck sits more than 50 m above the water, and the nearest interchanges, Tempozan and Nanko-kita, are reached by loop ramps about 3.3 to 3.4 km long.
The bridge includes sliding isolation bearings that let the roadway shift during earthquakes. This protects the steel framework from damage without affecting normal traffic use.
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