Ujina Ohashi Bridge: Hiroshima's Longest Girder Bridge
Ujina Ohashi Bridge is a plate girder bridge located in Minami Ward, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Completed in 1999 and opened to traffic on March 19, 2000, the bridge spans 550 meters in total length with a width of 21 meters. Its central span measures 270 meters, making it the longest girder bridge in Japan. The structure employs a three-span continuous steel box girder design with single-arch partial stiffening for the central span, chosen after detailed structural studies to achieve the necessary single-span crossing of the inner harbor between Niho and Ujina.
Dynamic stability was a key consideration in the bridge's design. Wind tunnel tests using bridge model simulations, as well as vibration tests on the completed bridge, confirmed its wind resistance. The structure is engineered to withstand earthquakes of the magnitude of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The bridge features an arch rise of 21 meters. Illumination is scheduled for every Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday, as well as December 31 and January 1, 2, and 3, from sunset until 10 PM.
