The Honshu-Shikoku Bridges

Nearly a quarter of century after construction began, the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project - connecting Japan's two main islands by three road and rail links - has entered the final stage of construction. The bridges form a part of the nationwide highway and railway network. This huge project calls for 16 long-span bridges in the Seto Inland Sea. The first completed link, the Seto Ohashi Link, with six long-span bridges for both road and rail traffic, has been in service since 1987. The girder for these bridges is a truss-type double-decked structure with a 4-lane road on the upper deck. The lower deck carries a double track of rails for ordinary trains and an additional double-track for a future high-speed "bullet" train.