Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kiyosuna Ohashi across the Arakawa (2)

March 2012 (35.665 Degrees, 139.846 Degrees) Kiyosuna Bridge

We are nearing the mouth of the Arakawa and so to delay the inevitable, I'll provide a few more views of the Kiyosuna Bridge.

Having just a single row of cables makes life a lot easier. You just have to make the floor beams strong enough to support the deck from the center. As the bridge gets wider, there's no choice but to have two rows of cables, which means two tower legs or a deck big enough to avoid the outside cables.

Bridges of any consequence have a ceramic plate embedded in the tower, pier, or railing with all the pertinent facts. In Japan, the date is from the succession of the emperor who was alive at the time. Akihito took over when his father died in 1989 which means this bridge was built in the year 16.

Despite city rivers (like the Arakawa) taking up valuable real estate and causing considerable expense in bridges, they do provide a pleasant environment for a walk, a run, or a bike ride. The wide Arakawa River Basin, which is really a big flood control channel, has created an enormous park through the middle of Tokyo.

Tokyo and Chiba Prefectures are part of a huge megapolis that requires hundreds of bridges to carry people (and freight) across the many rivers that flow through this region. We have traversed down the Tamagawa in the west, up the Sumidagawa in downtown Tokyo, and now we've almost completed our trip down the southern portion of the Arakawa.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kiyosuna Ohashi across the Arakawa (2) by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kiyosuna Ohashi across the Arakawa (1)

March 2012 (35.665 Degrees, 139.846 Degrees) Kiyosuna Bridge

A pretty cable-stayed bridge, despite having mismatched towers and piers. Perhaps it's pretty because it's big and new (built in 2004). It has a fan arrangement of cables, a steel superstructure, and a concrete substructure. Also a 83 ft wide deck (there's extra room for the row of cables running down the center of the deck).

Its a 4322 ft long three span cable-stayed bridge with steel girder approach spans. Apparently Kiyosuna means a bridge close to the river's mouth. The bridge carries Route 10 between Tokyo and Chiba.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kiyosuna Ohashi across the Arakawa (1) by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Nakagawa Subway Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.666 Degrees, 139.846 Degrees) Nakagawa Bridge

Continuing downstream we come to the Nakagawa Bridge carrying the Tokyo Metro Tozai Subway Line. The owner is the Teito Rapid Transit Authority. It is a 1236 m (4060 ft) Warren Truss on concrete hammerhead piers. Its just upstream of a big cable-stayed highway bridge.

The bridge is long because it crosses near the river's mouth which may have once been wider (it was built in 1981). It was also built on very poor soil and so the pier foundations were driven 72 m (240 ft) below ground, which was a world record at that time.

Looking back towards the west (towards Koto Ward) we can see the west approach to the bridge next to stairs that carry pedestrians onto the cable-stayed bridge that we will study tomorrow.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Nakagawa Subway Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kasaibashi across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.671 Degrees, 139.847 Degrees) Kasaibashi

We're near the mouth of the Arakawa and the last five bridges are particularly interesting. The Kasaibashi is a kind of suspension bridge with steel boxes instead of cables that go over pinned towers and join the deck close to the inflection points of the center span. A drop-in span is in the middle of the center span, so the bridge acts like two cantilever structures.

The bridge was built in 1963 and looks a little the worse for wear (it looks like the approach has settled). It is 280 m (920 ft) long with a 142 m (466 ft) long center span. There's a long approach structure on the east end of the bridge. The Kaisaibashi carries Tokyo Routes 10 and 475 over the river on four traffic lanes and sidewalks. It's the third bridge that was built at this site.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kasaibashi across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Toei Shinjuku Line Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.687 Degrees, 139.853 Degrees) Toei Shinjuku Line Bridge

The Toei Shinjuku Line Bridge is a Warren Truss railway bridge that goes east from Higashiojima Station across the Arakawa to Funabori Station. This is a subway line from Tokyo to Chiba that is easy to recognize due to the big leaf symbol and capital 'S' on station maps. The trains used to be green too but they've gradually replacing them with white, magenta, and violet Keio Series 9000 EMUs.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Toei Shinjuku Line Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Funabori Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.690 Degrees, 139.855 Degrees) Funabori Bridge

The next bridge downstream is the Funabori that carries Route 50 across the Arakawa. It's a mile long steel box girder bridge on hammerhead piers that was built in 1971.  Note the big tower on the far side that carries transmission lines over the river. I believe that the power lines go underground after crossing the river.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Funabori Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Arakawa High Capital Bridge

March 2012 (35.699 Degrees, 139.857 Degrees) Arakawa High Capital Bridge

The next bridge downstream carries Route 7 of the Metropolitan Expressway. Its called the Arakawa High Capital (or Komatsugawa) Bridge (maybe because that's the name of the town in Edogawa Ward). The bridge is a unique, three span (two tower) cable-stayed bridge with only four cables. The towers are short and the cables are low, so maybe it's more of an extrados bridge. I don't understand why the towers continue so far above the cables. Maybe the top of the towers is for tuned mass dampers? Maybe they were going to have a third set of cables but decided they didn't need it?

The bridge has steel towers, steel girders, and concrete piers.  As I've mentioned several times, I don't like it when the towers don't match the piers.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Arakawa High Capital Bridge by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Komatsugawa Bridges across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.701 Degrees, 139.856 Degrees) Komatsugawa Bridges

The Komatsugawa Bridge is actually a pair of steel, box girder bridges that carry Route 14 across the Arakawa. The bridges were built in 1969, they're 2300 ft long, and they each carry three lanes in opposite directions. It looks like the bridges were being painted on the day I took this photo.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Komatsugawa Bridges across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Arakawa Ohashi Sobuhansen

March 2012 (35.712 Degrees, 139.850 Degrees) Sobu Railway Bridge

Sitting next to yesterday's Hirai Ohashi is the Arakawa Ohashi Sobuhonsen, which carries the Sobu Railway over the Arakawa.

Like many of the railway bridges over the Arakawa, the Subohonsen is a 2400 ft long Warren Truss on concrete piers. However, the Sobuhonsen is unusual because it is three truss bridges built side by side on the same piers. The railway companies must have made hundreds of these 200 ft long Warren Truss segments that were used to build bridges over the Arakawa (and probably elsewhere).

The bridge(s) carry six sets of tracks, suggesting that the Sobu must be one of the most popular railway lines in Tokyo.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Arakawa Ohashi Sobuhansen by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Hirai Ohashi across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.713 Degrees, 139.848 Degrees) Hirai Bridge

Just past the Katsuhika Harp Bridge is the Hirai Bridge. At least that's what the kanji says on the bike path. It's another steel girder bridge on hammerhead piers with those ubiquitous lampposts. The bridge is 2400 ft long and 66 ft wide. Like many Arakawa River crossings this bridge was completed in the 1960s.

It looks like someone is planting a garden along the river. Perhaps residents are allowed to lease the land for gardens? More likely it's a flower garden planted by the City.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Hirai Ohashi across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Katsuhika Harp Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.723 Degrees, 139.843 Degrees) Katsuhika Harp Bridge

Not only are there many bridges crossing the Arakawa but there are also some interesting bridges alongside the river. The Katsushika Harp Bridge is an asymmetric cable-stayed bridge with tall and short towers that steps over the Ayase River to make room for the Nakagawa (see photo below).

The Katsuhika Harp Bridge is a 455 m (1494 ft) long cable-stayed bridge (built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries) that carries the Shuto (Metropolitan) Expressway. It's a four span bridge with a 220 m (722 ft) main span between the two steel towers.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Katsuhika Harp Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Ayase Arch Bridge across the Ayase River

March 2012 (35.728 Degrees, 139.837 Degrees) Ayase Arch Bridge

We previously encountered the Ayase River in my April 17, 2012 Blog. One hundred years ago the Ayase ran alongside of the Sumida River. However, as a result of flood control work that created the Arakawa, a short segment of the Ayase now connects the Sumida to the Arakawa and a longer segment of the Ayase now flows along the east bank of Arakawa.

Just east of this longer Ayase River is the elevated Shuto Expressway. Most of the bridges that we've studied cross over both the Arakawa and the Ayase River and then go under the expressway. However, the Ayase Arch Bridge provides pedestrians with access (from the east) to the strip of land between the Arakawa and the Ayase (see Google Earth photo below).

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Ayase Arch Bridge across the Ayase River by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kinegawa Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.728 Degrees, 139.833 Degrees) Kinegawa Bridge

During the last few months we've been traveling up the Sumida River and back down the Arakawa. We are now at the last of a cluster of bridges, the Kinegawa, which is a 1744 ft long through truss bridge that was built in 1969. This truss has no vertical members, it's just the simplest form of a Warren truss, a two lane highway bridge with wide sidewalks. Note the slightly tapered pier walls supporting the truss. This bridge has person-lift underneath. Apparently many of the Arakawa River Crossings were being worked on during the spring.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Kinegawa Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges, Oshiagesen Keisei Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.729 Degrees, 139.831 Degrees) Oshiagesen Keisei Bridge

The next bridge downstream carries the Keisei Osiage Line across the Arikawa. The Yotsugi Station is supported on the east end of the bridge. According to the Wikipedia website the railway line goes through downtown Tokyo neighborhoods that have a distinctly earthy atmosphere!

The  Oshiagesen Keisei Bridge is a long Warren Truss bridge carrying two sets of tracks with a taller through truss span over the river.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges, Oshiagesen Keisei Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Shin Yotsugi Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.731 Degrees, 139.830 Degrees) Shin Yotsugi Bridge

The next bridge downstream is the New Yotsugi, a 2707 ft river crossing built in 1972. It includes a 712 ft continuous span over the river. Note the rectangular-shaped utility attached to the exterior girder.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Shin Yotsugi Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Yotsugi Bridge across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.732 Degrees, 139.829 Degrees) Yotsugi Bridge

About a mile downstream from the double-deck Metropolitan Expressway Bridge is a cluster of four bridges across the Arakawa. The first one is the 1750 ft long by 56 ft wide Yotsugi Bridge, built in 1952.

The Bridge carries Route 6 from Sumida Ward on the west bank to Katsushika Ward on the west bank. On the upper left corner of the Google Earth photo below is the Sumida RIver and at the lower right corner is the Nakagawa River, which eventually joins the Arakawa as it flows into Tokyo Bay.

Like most of the bridges over the Arakawa, this bridge is a series of simple spans with a longer span over the middle of the river. Note the little bit of graffiti on the concrete piers, which is unusual for the generally law abiding Japanese and their pristine bridges.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Yotsugi Bridge across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Metropolitan Expressway across the Arakawa

March 2012 (35.743 Degrees, 139.822 Degrees) Metropolitan Expressway Bridge

The next bridge downstream is a continuation of the Metropolitan Expressway that was shown on my April 17th Blog. The elevated expressway follows the Sumida River for several miles, then turns at a canal, crosses the Arakawa, and connects to the Central Expressway along the east bank of the Arakawa (see Google Earth Photo below). In the photo above the exterior of the bridge is being covered up prior to repainting.

The two decks sit on outrigger bents that support the decks as they widen and then split into on and off ramps that connect to the two decks of the Central Expressway. This split is called the Horikiri Junction.

Tokyo, Japan's Bridges: Metropolitan Expressway across the Arakawa by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.