Tokyo Gate Bridge

Tokyo Gate Bridge 東京ゲートブリッジ
Tokyo Gate Bridge, January 2015
Coordinates
Carries	Road traffic (4 lanes), pedestrians
Crosses	Tokyo Bay
Locale	Tokyo, Japan
Characteristics
Design	cantilever bridge
Total length	2,618 m
Height	87.8 m
Longest span	440 m
Clearance above	54.6 m
History
Construction begin	2002
Construction end	2011
Opened	2012
Statistics
Toll	None

Tokyo Gate Bridge (東京ゲートブリッジ, Tōkyō gēto burijji) is a truss cantilever bridge across Tokyo Bay in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. It opened on 12 February 2012 with an estimated total construction cost of ¥113 billion for the Stage II section of highway including the bridge.

History

Part of a new four-lane highway ringing Tokyo, construction began in 2002 and was scheduled for completion in 2011, but the opening to traffic was delayed until 2012. With the provisional name of Tokyo Bay Waterfront Bridge (東京港臨海大橋, Tōkyōwan rinkai ōhashi) the public was asked for suggestions. From the 12,223 received, "Tokyo Gate Bridge" was chosen and officially announced on 15 November 2010.

Design

The rather unusual design is a result of opposing requirements: to be high enough to allow large ships to pass underneath, but low enough not to interfere with air traffic to the nearby Haneda Airport. It is a double cantilever bridge, which means that the truss sections from either side can be completed in balance, and then joined by addition of the relatively short central span. In effect, this bridge is a somewhat gawky deformation of a single span of the iconic Forth Bridge in Scotland. A more fanciful view, of the two sides being monsters facing off, has given it the nickname of 'Dinosaur Bridge' (恐竜橋, Kyōryū-bashi)

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  Tokyo Gate Bridge under construction (May 2010)

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  The bridge as seen from the roadway

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  The main span of the bridge

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  Elevator system for sightseeing

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  Tokyo port ,A view from the bridge.

External links

• Official Tokyo Metropolitan Government page about the bridge (Japanese)