Sky Gate Bridge R

{{Short description|Two-level bridge to Kansai International Airport in Japan}}

{{Expand Japanese|関西国際空港連絡橋|date=September 2018|topic=transport}}

{{Infobox Bridge

|bridge_name=Sky Gate Bridge R

|native_name=スカイゲートブリッジR

|image=Sky gate bridge01s3200.jpg

|caption=

|official_name=関西国際空港連絡橋 (Kansai Kokusai Kūkō Renrakukyō)

|carries=File:JP Expressway E71.svg (6 lanes),
{{RouteBox|S||#0072bc}} Kansai Airport Line,
File:Nankai airport line symbol.svg Nankai Airport Line

|crosses=Osaka Bay

|locale=Izumisano, Osaka, {{JAP}}

|maint=

|id=

|design=Continuous truss bridge

|mainspan={{cvt|150|m|ftin}}

|length={{cvt|3750|m|mi}}{{cite web|title=About Kansai International Airport|url=http://www.kansai-airports.co.jp/en/company-profile/about-airports/kix.html|publisher=Kansai Airports|accessdate=27 February 2018}}

|width={{cvt|29.5|m|ftin}}

|height={{cvt|25|m|ftin}}

|load=

|material=

|clearance=

|begin=

|below=

|traffic=

|inaugurated=

|open=1994

|closed=

|cost=

|toll={{JPY|920}}{{cite web |url=https://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/access/car |title=Road Map and Access Bridge Tolls |publisher=Kansai Airports |accessdate=5 September 2018}}

|map_cue=

|map_image=

|map_text=

|map_width=

|coordinates = {{coord|34.426333|135.278361|display=inline,title}}

}}

{{Infobox road

|country=JPN

|route=Kansai International Airport Access Bridge

|marker_image =File:Kansai International Airport Access Bridge Route Sign.svg

|name=Kansai International Airport Access Bridge

|alternate_name=File:JP Expressway E71.svg {{Nihongo2|関西国際空港連絡橋}}

| length_mi =

| length_km =4.6

| length_round =

| length_ref ={{cite web|title=関西国際空港連絡橋（道路）の移管に伴う料金変更について|url=https://corp.w-nexco.co.jp/corporate/release/hq/h21/0421/|language=ja|date=21 April 2009|accessdate=30 October 2019}}

| established =2009

| allocation = {{jct|country=JPN|Route|481}}

| direction_a =South

| terminus_a =Rinku Junction
24px Hanshin Expressway Bayshore Route
{{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E71}}
in Izumisano, Osaka

| junction =

| direction_b =North

|section1=

|length_mi1=

|length_ref1=

|terminus_a1=

|terminus_b1=Kansai International Airport Interchange
in Izumisano, Osaka

}}

File:View of Sky Gate Bridge R from Kansai international airport.jpg at Kansai Int'l Airport. (November 2013)|alt=]]

{{Nihongo|Sky Gate Bridge R|スカイゲートブリッジR Sukaigētoburijji R}}, also known as the {{Nihongo|Kansai International Airport Access Bridge|関西国際空港連絡橋}}, serves as a link between the mainland of Osaka, Japan to the artificial island in Osaka Bay on which Kansai International Airport is built. It is the longest double-decked truss bridge in the world. The bridge carries six lanes of automobile traffic on top and two of rail below, over nine truss spans.

Structural specifications

The Sky Gate Bridge is a continuous truss bridge that measures {{Convert|3.75|km|abbr=on}} long, {{Convert|29.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} wide (6 lanes), and {{Convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}} at its highest point in the center.{{cite web|title=About Kansai International Airport|url=http://www.kansai-airports.co.jp/en/company-profile/about-airports/kix.html|publisher=Kansai Airports|accessdate=27 February 2018}}{{cite web|title=LONG SPAN & NEWER STEEL BRIDGES IN JAPAN|url=http://www.daido-it.ac.jp/~doboku/miki/inxjb3.html|publisher=Daido University|accessdate=6 September 2018}}

History

The bridge commenced construction in June 1987, and was completed in March 1994.{{cite web|title=About Kansai International Airport|url=http://www.kansai-airports.co.jp/en/company-profile/about-airports/kix.html|publisher=Kansai Airports|accessdate=27 February 2018}} On 21 April 2009, management of the expressway portion of the bridge was handed over to the West Nippon Expressway Company. This expressway was numbered E71 alongside the Kansai-Kūkō Expressway in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/sign/numbering/en/list/index.html|title=Japan’s Expressway Numbering System|website=www.mlit.go.jp |accessdate= 30 October 2019}}

=Typhoon Jebi=

The bridge was damaged on 4 September 2018 by Typhoon Jebi. A 2600-ton tanker lost power and was blown into one side, severely damaging half of the automobile lanes and the rail lines.{{cite news |journal=The Mainichi |title=Ship smashes into Kansai airport bridge as typhoon hits Japan |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180904/p2g/00m/0dm/065000c |date=4 September 2018 |access-date=4 September 2018}} The bridge, being the sole link between the airport and the mainland, stranded approximately {{val|3000}} passengers and {{val|2000}} staff{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Williams |title=What Kansai airport flooding can teach Hong Kong about the perils of reclamation amid climate change |journal=South China Morning Post |date=7 September 2018 |url=https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2163161/what-kansai-airport-flooding-can-teach-hong-kong}} overnight at the airport. They were evacuated the next day via the {{nihongo|Kōbe–Kankū Bay Shuttle|神戸-関空ベイ・シャトル}} ferry to nearby Kobe Airport,{{cite news |title=First of 5,000 people stranded by typhoon at Kansai airport evacuated as storm death toll hits 10 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/05/national/5000-typhoon-stranded-people-transported-kansai-airport-boat/ |journal=The Japan Times |date=5 September 2018}} later joined by buses over the undamaged half of the bridge.{{r|Williams}}

The bridge was partially reopened to vehicle traffic on 7 March 2019 with four lanes open.{{cite web|title=関西空港自動車道|url=http://www.ne.jp/asahi/expressway/dataroom/kansai-kuko_expwy.htm|language=ja|accessdate=29 October 2019}} The bridge's full capacity with six lanes of traffic was restored on 8 April 2019.{{cite web|title=関西国際空港連絡橋６車線確保について|url=http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001284651.pdf|language=ja|accessdate=12 May 2019}}

Junction list

The entire expressway is in Osaka Prefecture. The sequence of kilometer posts continue from the Kansai-Kūkō Expressway.

{{JPNinttop|exit|name|nopref=yes|length_ref={{google maps |title=Kansai Int'l Airport Access Bridge|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.413464,135.2953645/34.4416916,135.2586969/@34.4132884,135.2956692,18.21z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0|accessdate=30 October 2019}}}}

{{JPNint|exit|name

|location_special=Izumisano

|lspan=4

|km=6.6

|exit=3

|type=trans

|name=Rinkū

|road=24px Hanshin Expressway Bayshore Route – Osaka, Kobe
{{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E71}} – Osaka, Wakayama

|notes=Southern terminus, E71 continues on to the Kansai-Kūkō Expressway

}}

{{JPNint|exit|name

|km=6.6