Jaw-Dropping: The Most Expensive Bridge Projects in the World
4. Ohashi Eshima
Eshima Ohashi Bridge Location: Japan
Founded: 2004
Cost: $100–200 million*
The Eshima Ohashi Bridge, a remarkable rigid-frame bridge, connects Matsue in Shimane Prefecture with Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture, spanning the picturesque Nakaumi Lake. Construction of the bridge began in 1997 and was completed in 2004. Its unique design and impressive scale have made it a popular subject for photographs, often giving the illusion of extreme steepness from a distance.
Eshima Ohashi Bridge
The Eshima Ohashi Bridge features a distinctive steep roadway designed to allow larger ships to pass beneath it more easily. However, this impressive structure creates a remarkable optical illusion; despite its appearance, the gradients are relatively mild, with a 6.1% slope on one side and an even gentler 5.1% gradient on the other. Standing 147 feet high and stretching 1.06 miles long, the bridge is a significant engineering achievement that came at a considerable expense.
