The is a road in

Uruma, Okinawa is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The modern city of Uruma was established on April 1, 2005, when the cities of Gushikawa and Ishikawa were merged with the towns of Katsuren and Yonashiro (both from Nakagami District). As of M ...

, Japan. long, it forms part of Okinawa Prefectural Road No. 10 and runs across the sea.

Construction

The road consists of a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet ...

with a bridge so vessels may pass. There are two rivers or water lanes for preventing seawater contamination. Crossing on foot between Yokatsu Peninsula and Henza Island

Crossing on foot between Yokatsu Peninsula and Henza Island

History

An area of shoal extended between the Yakena area of the Katsuren Peninsula and Henza Island. At low

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables can ...

, it was shallow enough for people to walk across on the sea bed. Since 1956,

amphibious vehicles An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle that is a means of transport viable on land as well as on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious bicycles, ATVs, cars, buses, trucks, railway vehicles, combat vehicles and ...

, or used trucks of United States origin, drove to and from the island. In 1960, islanders started a campaign for the construction of a road connecting the island and the peninsula. Construction began, but a typhoon came and interrupted the progress. In 1970,

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies. Prior to its merger ...

started constructing port facilities for petroleum storage and reshipment on Henza Island. Gulf funded the construction of The Mid-Sea road. Department of Civil Engineering and Construction, Okinawa Prefecture,''50 years of Civil Engineering and Construction'' 1995, Okinawa Construction Technology Center pp.56-58 Construction started in May 1971 and was completed April 22, 1972 as a two-lane road. The completed Mid-Sea Road was presented to the Yonashiro Village free of charge in 1974 and became a village road. In 1991, it was made a prefectural road. In 1999, the road was expanded to 4-lanes.

Katsuren Peninsula and other islands

On the Katsuren Peninsula is

Katsuren Castle is a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' in Uruma, Okinawa. In 2000, Katsuren Castle was designated as a World Heritage Site, as a part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. History Katsuren Castle was built on a large hill of ...

. Connected by the Mid-Sea Road are the Katsuren Peninsula, Henza Island, Miyagi Island, Ikei Island, and Hamahiga Island. File:KatsurenGusukuRuins.jpg, Katsuren Castle on the Katsuren Peninsula File:Hamahiga Island.JPG, Hamahiga Island

Footnotes

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References

* Henza Jichikai(Henza Autonomous Organization),''Furukiwo Tazunete (In search of old days)'' 1985, p. 22. pp.166-170, pp.329-332. Roads in Japan Transport in Okinawa Prefecture Bridges completed in 1972

Construction

History

Katsuren Peninsula and other islands

See also

Footnotes

References