Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project

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Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project

The Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project is a system of bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span a gorge, valley, road, Rail tracks, river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle....
s connecting the islands of Honshu

Honshu

or Honshu is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait....
and Shikoku

Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
across the Inland Sea

Inland Sea

Formally named the , the Inland Sea is the body of water separating Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, three of the main islands of Japan. It serves as an international waterway, connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan....
of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, which were previously only connected by ferry. It consists of three major connections. All bridges are now controlled by Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Co., Ltd.

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Encyclopedia

The Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project is a system of bridge

Bridge

Honshu

Shikoku

Inland Sea

Japan

Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway

The eastern expressway was completed in 1998. Crossing Akashi Strait (ja. ????, Akashi-Kaikyo), this connection links Hyogo Prefecture

Hyogo Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Kinki region on Honshu island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo....
on Honshu with Tokushima Prefecture

Tokushima Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on Shikoku island. The Capital is the city of Tokushima, Tokushima....
on Shikoku, using Awaji Island

Awaji Island

is an island in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. As a transit between those two islands Awaji originally means "the road to Awa province ", the historic province bordering the Shikoku side of the Naruto strait now part of Tokushima Prefecture....
for most of its length. The route connects to the Sanyo Expressway

Sanyo Expressway

The is an Expressways of Japan, running from Kobe through Hiroshima along the Inland Sea and terminating in Yamaguchi Prefecture. It was founded in 1997, and its main line has a total length of 405.6 kilometers....
at its northern terminus, allowing traffic to connect to Himeji, Kobe

Kobe

is the List of Japanese cities by population in Japan and as the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1.5 million....
, and other major cities on Honshu.

This connection uses two suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge where the main load-bearing elements are hung from suspension cables. While modern suspension bridges with level decks date from the early 19th century, earlier types are reported from the 3rd century BC....
s. The more well-known of the two is the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge

Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge

The , also known as the Pearl Bridge, is the world's longest suspension bridge . It is located in Japan and was completed in 1998. The bridge links the city of Kobe on the mainland of Honshu to Iwaya on Awaji Island by crossing the busy Akashi Strait....
, the world's longest suspension bridge, which connects Kobe to Awaji Island

Awaji Island

Ohnaruto Bridge

The is a suspension bridge on the route connecting Kobe with Naruto, Tokushima, Japan. Completed in 1985, it has a main span of . Although it is one of the List of largest suspension bridges, it is dwarfed by the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which is on the same route....
, connecting Awaji to the city of Naruto

Naruto, Tokushima

is a cities of Japan located in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 62,453 and the population density of 461 persons per km?....
across the Naruto whirlpool

Naruto whirlpool

The is a tidal whirlpool in the Naruto strait, a channel between Naruto, Tokushima in Tokushima prefecture and Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan....
.

Although the connection was initially designed to accommodate railway service as well as road traffic, economic considerations turned it into a road connection only.

Seto-Chuo Expressway (Central-Seto Expressway)

The central expressway was completed in 1988. Also known as the Great Seto Bridge

Great Seto Bridge

The , or Seto-Ohashi Bridge, is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefecture prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea....
, this line connects Okayama Prefecture

Okayama Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Okayama....
to Kagawa Prefecture

Kagawa Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.History Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province....
. A series of six major bridges and five viaducts are used. The six bridges are: the Shimotsui-Seto Bridge

Shimotsui-Seto Bridge

The is a suspension bridge with a center span of which connects Honshu with the island of Hitsuishijima. It is the 22nd List of largest suspension bridges....
, Hitsuishijima Bridge

Hitsuishijima Bridge

The is a cable-stayed bridge with a center span of . The span carries roadway and the Seto-Ohashi Line railway tracks. It is immediately north of the identical ....
, Iwakurojima Bridge

Iwakurojima Bridge

The is a cable-stayed bridge with a center span of . The span carries roadway and the Seto-Ohashi Line railway tracks. It is immediately south of the identical ....
, Yoshima Bridge

Yoshima Bridge

The is a truss bridge with a main span of and a total of 5 spans. The span carries roadway and the Seto-Ohashi Line railway tracks. It is immediately south of the and ....
, Kita Bisan-Seto Bridge

Kita Bisan-Seto Bridge

The is a suspension bridge with a center span of . It is the 19th List of largest suspension bridges. The span carries roadway and the Seto-Ohashi Line railway tracks....
, and Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge

Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge

The is a suspension bridge with a center span of . It is the 13th List of longest suspension bridge spans. The span carries roadway and the Seto-Ohashi Line railway tracks....
.

The Seto-Chuo bridges are also used by JR

Shikoku Railway Company

, commonly known as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in the four Prefectures of Japan on the island of Shikoku in Japan....
trains (Seto-Ohashi Line

Seto-Ohashi Line

is a Japanese railway service across the Inland Sea via the Great Seto Bridge between Okayama Station, Okayama, Okayama and Takamatsu Station, Takamatsu, Kagawa, operated by West Japan Railway Company and Shikoku Railway Company ....
), and are designed to accommodate high-speed Shinkansen

Shinkansen

File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....
service in the future, although there are no current plans to extend the Shinkansen to Shikoku.

Nishiseto Expressway (Western-Seto Expressway)

The western expressway was competed in 1999. Commonly known as the Shimanami Kaido, this connection links Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima....
to Ehime Prefecture

Ehime Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama, Ehime....
. The link consists of nine bridges: the Shin-Onomichi Bridge, Innoshima Bridge

Innoshima Bridge

The is a Japanese suspension bridge, part of the 59 kilometer Nishi-Seto Expressway linking the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. Completed in 1983, it has a main span of and connects Mukaishima, Hiroshima with Innoshima, Hiroshima....
, Ikuchi Bridge, Tatara Bridge

Tatara Bridge

The is a cable-stayed bridge that is part of the Nishiseto Expressway, commonly known as the Shimanami Kaido ??????. The bridge has a center span of ....
, Ohmishima Bridge, Hakata-Ohshima Bridge

Hakata-Ohshima Bridge

The is a Japanese suspension bridge, part of the 59 kilometer Nishiseto Expressway connecting the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. Completed in 1988, it has a main span of 560 meters and connects Hakatajima with Oshima, Ehime....
, First Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, Second Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, and Third Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge. It is the only route which can be crossed on bicycle

Bicycle

The bicycle, bike, or cycle is a pedal-driven, human-powered transport with two bicycle wheel attached to a bicycle frame, one behind the other....
or foot.

Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project

Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway

Seto-Chuo Expressway (Central-Seto Expressway)

Nishiseto Expressway (Western-Seto Expressway)

External links