Ōnaruto Bridge

Ōnaruto Bridge
(大鳴門橋 Ōnaruto-kyō)

from Mt. Naruto
Coordinates 34°14′19″N 134°39′05″E / 34.23861°N 134.65139°ECoordinates: 34°14′19″N 134°39′05″E / 34.23861°N 134.65139°E
Carries 4 lanes of roadway
Crosses Naruto Strait
Locale Naruto, Tokushima and Awaji Island
Maintained by Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Authority
Characteristics
Design Suspension bridge
Longest span 876 metres (2,874 ft)
Clearance below 41 metres (135 ft)
History
Opened 1985
Statistics
Daily traffic 18,600

The Ōnaruto Bridge (大鳴門橋 Ōnaruto-kyō) is a suspension bridge on the route connecting Kobe with Naruto, Tokushima, Japan. Completed in 1985, it has a main span of 876 metres (2,874 ft). Although it is one of the largest bridges in the world, it is dwarfed by the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which is on the same route. In 2004, 6.8 million cars and trucks crossed this bridge, translating into a daily average of about 18,600.

Naruto Whirlpools

Recurring whirlpools known as the Naruto whirlpools are located below the bridge, caused by tidal currents between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean passing over undersea ridges under the Span, causing very strong eddy currents, some of which make large, deep whirlpools.

The bridge has a tourist attraction built into the south side anchor—the Uzunomichi Walkway[1]—an enclosed walkway out to the south tower to allow visitors to view the swirls through side and floor windows, best seen during low tide. Tourist boats and other vessels circle the towers, allowing visitors to actually see the depth of the whirlpools up close, while the view from the bridge observatory lets visitors see the pattern created by the eddy currents extending out for quite a distance.

References

  1. ↑ Welcome! Shikoku Web Site' Naruto Whirlpools English Page

External links

Media related to Ōnaruto Bridge at Wikimedia Commons