The is a

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

over the

Toyo River The Toyo River is a river in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It flows into the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to ...

(''Toyo-gawa'') in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. It connects the cities of

Toyohashi is a Cities of Japan, city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 377,453 in 160,516 households and a population density of 1,400 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . By area, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefec ...

and

Toyokawa is a Cities of Japan, city in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 183,930 in 72,949 households, and a population density of 1,141 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Toyokawa, famou ...

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

. The bridge carries Route 23 across the river.

Overview

Completed in 1982, the bridge was originally a toll road managed by the Japan Highway Public Corporation, charging 200 yen for general vehicles. It was bought in 2005 and became a national highway, with no toll. When it was a toll bridge, traffic volume was not so heavy since many vehicles used the free Wattsu and Maeshiba bridges upstream. However, after it became free, the traffic volume increased dramatically on Toyokawa Bridge, often leading to congestion at the intersections on both ends. Therefore, the bridge went through several improvements, including a multi-level intersection, and became a four-lane bridge on June 16, 2013.

References

Bridges in Aichi Prefecture {{Japan-bridge-struct-stub