ÅŒnaruto Bridge

The Naruto Bridge (Japanese大 鸣 门桥Ō- Naruto - kyō; German great Naruto Bridge ) is a 1,629 m long suspension bridge over the Naruto Strait between Awaji -shima and the city of Naruto on Shikoku.

Construction of the bridge began in September 1976, on 8 June 1985, it was opened to vehicular traffic. So they replaced all previous ferry between the two islands; for pedestrians, cyclists and small cars (up to 3.4 m in length, 660 cm ³) since there is no longer any connection between Awaji -shima and Shikoku.

The main span of the bridge is 876 m, the side spans each of 330 m, and in the north once 93 m, the width of the bridge 25 m and the height of the pillar 144 m. It was designed as a combined highway and railway bridge built on two levels. The then from 1986 to 1998 built Akashi Kaikyo Bridge of Awaji -shima to Kobe, however, was exclusively designed from the outset for the road and therefore only one storey. Use of the bridge connecting Honshu on Awaji -shima to Shikoku for the Shinkansen appeared now impracticable, because of the noise on the lower level of the bridge forbid a drive with more than 70 km / h and from among the frequent strong winds of the trains on the suspension bridge even security must be adjusted in each case ( for road traffic on the bridge is considered a general speed limit of 70 km / h on windy days at 40 km / h).

After saying goodbye to the rail link for the no longer required lower level of the Naruto Bridge as part of the Naruto Park was converted into Naruto Swirl mile, which attracts many visitors.

Of the three bridges between Honshu and Shikoku, the Naruto Bridge with 6.8 million vehicles in 2004 after also part of the Kobe - Awaji - Naruto Expressway Akashi Kaikyo Bridge was the most traveled. The figures since opening achieve the original cost of the loss plans Honshu Shikoku Bridge Company, it but only to 78 %.