is a 38.25-meter long bridge that from the side resembles lips. The upper half of the bridge is for automobiles and pedestrians, and the lower half is for pedestrians only. The upper bridge is 5.8 meters wide, and the lower bridge is 7.5 meters wide. Pedestrians are instinctively drawn to the wider, lower bridge, which takes the form of a reverse arch. The lower bridge reaches its lowest point in the middle, which is three meters below the level of the street above. The bridge structure is a steel-frame Vierendeel truss, deformed into the shape of lips. The upper chord members, lower chord members and supports are all structural elements. The lower bridge, which is floored in planks of local cedar 45 millimeters thick, has two round holes with diameters of 2.8 meters and 2.2 meters. Except for the railing on the lower bridge, standard specifications for public works are used in all details. The bridge is located in Soyo, a small town in a mountainous area near the border between Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefectures.

Executive engeneer : Chuo Consultants Co., Ltd. Kyusyu Branch

Photo: Shinkenchiku-sha