Foundation for the Construction of a Long-span Bridge
Saikai Bridge
It was in 1955, ten years after the end of World War II, that the Saikai Bridge, boasting a single, braced-rib arch with a span of 243.7 meters, opened across the fast-flowing sea and whirlpools of Inoura-seto, Nagasaki Prefecture. In addition to signaling the start of economic growth and postwar restoration, the bridge provided a foundation for the construction of Japan’s longest long-span bridge. Looking up at the bridge, we are struck by its extremely delicate and transparent quality. Despite the bridge’s great length, this vividly conveys the fact that it was created by human hand.