Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Megami Bridge: Nagasaki City

Nagasaki`s Megami Bridge, the newest bridge in the city is the longest cable-stayed bridge on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu.

The Megami Bridge is a remarkable feat of engineering and the citizens of Nagasaki are all proud of the finished product and really makes people proud to call themselves Nagasakian's.  The bridge measures 880 meters in length and 170 meters in height but it looks so much bigger than these statistics and is really an awe inspiring landmark on the Nagasaki Horizon.  Nagasaki`s Megami Bridge is heavily exposed to the elements and therefore takes a battering from the constant sunshine, rain, wing and of course everyone favorite natural disaster, the typhoon.  Therefore it is quite a common site to see dozens of workers at a time working and cleaning and maintaining the incredible beauty of the Bridge.

Located on the south side of Nagasaki City, the Megami Bridge, affectionately known as Venus’ Wing and provides relief to the chronic traffic congestion in the city by linking its southern and western parts o the city with one magnificently built bridge.  Also, the bridge was built to revitalize industry and culture in the whole region by strengthening the link between the city and the port facilities.  Illuminated in the evenings, the bridge has become a landmark of Nagasaki Port and a new symbol of Nagasaki City tourism.

I drive on this bridge regularly and I can tell you it is a wonderful feeling to pass over.  You can feel every metre of height and on a clear day you can see all the way down the harbor and of course well out into the open seas.  Well worth a drive on a wonderful scenic day.

It`s a great landmark as it`s the first recognizable symbol of Nagasaki as the Cruise Ships first arrive into Nagasaki Port, so on our Private Tours I always endeavor to include a drive across the Megami Bridge to add that extra dimension.

Check out Nagasaki's Megami Bridge on a map:

Click on the following photos below to enlarge:


Cable suspensions


Well constructed










Below are some more photos taken at various time during sunset, hope you like them!