Sky Gate Bridge R
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|
Kansai International Airport Access Bridge | |
|---|---|
 関西国際空港連絡橋 | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 4.6 km[1] (2.9 mi) |
| Existed | 2009–present |
| Component highways |  National Route 481 |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | Rinku Junction Hanshin Expressway Bayshore Route Kansai-Kūkō Expresswayin Izumisano, Osaka |
| North end | Kansai International Airport Interchange in Izumisano, Osaka |
| Location | |
| Country | Japan |
| Highway system | |
 | |
| Carries | (6 lanes), Kansai Airport Line,  Nankai Airport Line |
| Crosses | Osaka Bay |
| Locale | Izumisano, Osaka |
| Official name | 関西国際空港連絡橋 (Kansai Kokusai Kūkō Renrakukyō) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Continuous truss bridge |
| Total length | 3,750 m (2.33 mi)[2] |
| Width | 29.5 m (96 ft 9 in) |
| Height | 25 m (82 ft 0 in) |
| Longest span | 150 m (492 ft 2 in) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1994 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | ¥920[3] |
Sky Gate Bridge R (スカイゲートブリッジR Sukaigētoburijji R), also known as the Kansai International Airport Access Bridge (関西国際空港連絡橋), serves as a link between the mainland of Osaka, Japan to the artificial island in Osaka Bay on which Kansai International Airport is built. It is the longest double-decked truss bridge in the world. The bridge carries six lanes of automobile traffic on top and two of rail below, over nine truss spans.
Structural specifications
The Sky Gate Bridge is a continuous truss bridge that measures 3.75 km (2.33 mi) long, 29.5 m (96 ft 9 in) wide (6 lanes), and 25 m (82 ft) at its highest point in the center.[2][4]
History
The bridge commenced construction in June 1987, and was completed in March 1994.[2] On 21 April 2009, management of the expressway portion of the bridge was handed over to the West Nippon Expressway Company.[1] This expressway was numbered E71 alongside the Kansai-Kūkō Expressway in 2016.[5]
Typhoon Jebi
The bridge was damaged on 4 September 2018 by Typhoon Jebi. A 2600-ton tanker lost power and was blown into one side, severely damaging half of the automobile lanes and the rail lines.[6] The bridge, being the sole link between the airport and the mainland, stranded approximately 3000 passengers and 2000 staff[7] overnight at the airport. They were evacuated the next day via the Kōbe–Kankū Bay Shuttle (神戸-関空ベイ・シャトル) ferry to nearby Kobe Airport,[8] later joined by buses over the undamaged half of the bridge.[7] The bridge was partially reopened to vehicle traffic on 7 March 2019 with four lanes open.[9] The bridge's full capacity with six lanes of traffic was restored on 8 April 2019.[10]
Junction list
The entire expressway is in Osaka Prefecture. The sequence of kilometer posts continue from the Kansai-Kūkō Expressway.
| Location | km[11] | mi | Exit | Name | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Izumisano | 6.6 | 4.1 | 3 | Rinkū | Hanshin Expressway Bayshore Route – Osaka, Kobe Kansai-Kūkō Expressway – Osaka, Wakayama | Southern terminus, E71 continues on to the Kansai-Kūkō Expressway | |
| 6.6 | 4.1 | 4 | Rinku | National Route 481 – to National Route 26 Osaka Prefecture Route 29 east – Kaizuka Osaka Prefecture Route 63 south – Sennan | Northbound entrance, southbound exit; southern end of National Route 481 concurrency | ||
| 11.2 | 7.0 | 5 | Kansai International Airport |  Kansai Airport – Domestic Cargo, Observation Hall, Terminal, Ferries | Northern terminus of E71 and National Route 481; toll gate | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b "関西国際空港連絡橋（道路）の移管に伴う料金変更について" (in Japanese). 21 April 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ a b c "About Kansai International Airport". Kansai Airports. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^ "Road Map and Access Bridge Tolls". Kansai Airports. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "LONG SPAN & NEWER STEEL BRIDGES IN JAPAN". Daido University. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
- ^ "Japan's Expressway Numbering System". www.mlit.go.jp. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "Ship smashes into Kansai airport bridge as typhoon hits Japan". The Mainichi. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ a b Williams, Martin (7 September 2018). "What Kansai airport flooding can teach Hong Kong about the perils of reclamation amid climate change". South China Morning Post.
- ^ "First of 5,000 people stranded by typhoon at Kansai airport evacuated as storm death toll hits 10". The Japan Times. 5 September 2018.
- ^ "関西空港自動車道" (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "関西国際空港連絡橋 ６車線確保について" (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ Google (30 October 2019). "Kansai Int'l Airport Access Bridge" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
