Shin-Noboribetsu Ohashi Bridge

Overview

Shin-Noboribetsu Ohashi Bridge is located in Noboribetsu City, Hokkaido, spanning the Noboribetsu River (a Class 2 river) and carrying Hokkaido Route 782 (Noboribetsu-Muroran Line). The bridge is 240m long, with a 160m arch span and a 120m height from the bridge surface to the river. It was completed in October 1986. Hokkaido Route 782 connects the Muroran Takasago district to Noboribetsu Fukishi and Horobetsu districts, bypassing Noboribetsu Station and providing direct access to Kaminooribetsu, Karurusu Onsen, and Noboribetsu Onsen Town. The road leading inland from Horobetsu passes through the flat plateau of Zana and then faces the deep valley of the middle Noboribetsu River. Shin-Noboribetsu Ohashi Bridge was built to cross this valley. Construction began in 1979 and was completed in October 1986 at a cost of approximately 2.4 billion yen. The construction employed a sloping suspension method using multiple cable cranes to lower the bridge materials. It's an inverted rose bridge, meaning the supporting columns are placed above the arch, making the arch itself invisible from the bridge. The bridge runs northeast to southwest, crossing the river flowing northwest to southeast. To the west of the bridge is the Noboribetsu Valley Parking Park, with an observation deck offering bridge views. From both the bridge and the observation deck, the Pacific Ocean is visible in the southeast distance. To the north of the bridge, Tenkaen, a Chinese garden theme park, operated from 1992 to 1999. As of 2019, Tenkaen has been demolished, and the mega solar power plant of SJ Solar Hokkaido is visible from the bridge.