The Metropolitan Expressway's "Highway Daishi Bridge" connecting Tokyo and Kanagawa has been closed for two weeks since last month due to bridge replacement work due to aging, but the work has been completed and the road closure will be lifted on the 2th.

Due to the replacement work of the Metropolitan Expressway on the Metropolitan Expressway over the Tama River, some sections of the No. 27 Haneda Line have been closed all day since the 1th of last month.

The bridge will be replaced by the 9th, and the two-week road closure will be lifted at 2 a.m. on the 10th.

According to the company, during the period, traffic congestion occurred on circuits including ordinary roads due to road closures, and ▽ Kanagawa No. 5 Yokobane Line took up to 1 minutes to pass in a section that is usually about 30 minutes,
and
▽ It took up to 70 minutes instead of about 30 minutes on the Expressway Bay Shore Line.

The Metropolitan Expressway, which celebrated 50 years since its opening last year, is aging and large-scale construction is underway in other sections, and there is a possibility that the road will be closed for construction in the future.

Takayuki Noami, Director of the Project Promotion Department of the Renewal and Construction Bureau of the Metropolitan Expressway Company, said, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused by traffic congestion, but we are grateful for the understanding and cooperation of alleviating traffic congestion and that we were able to complete the construction safely.

Shortening the construction period for rebuilding on an unprecedented scale

The biggest challenge in the construction of the high-speed Daishi Bridge was how to shorten the road closure period of the bridge, which carries as many as 8,2017 cars a day.

According to the company, when rebuilding a bridge from scratch, it was expected to take years.

In order to shorten the construction period, this construction was the first construction method on the Metropolitan Expressway to build a new bridge next to it while allowing cars to pass on the current bridge, and then replace it entirely.

Since October 10, preparations have been underway for replacement such as the construction of new bridges and the installation of rails at five locations in the river.

Then, on the 5th of last month, the old bridge was removed by sliding it upstream using rails in the river, and the new bridge was slid and replaced on the next day, the 28th.

The weight of the bridge is about 29,4000 tons, which is comparable to that of Tokyo Tower, and there is no previous example of a bridge of this scale being replaced.

More than 50 years old for 3% of sections

Of the total length of the Metropolitan Expressway of 327 km, 50 km, or 3% of which was built more than 97 years ago, has reached 1 km.
Especially in severely damaged areas, we are undergoing a large-scale project to rebuild entire roads and bridges.

This high-speed Daishi Bridge is also part of the project and will be the first construction to be completed.

Other sections are
▽Higashi-Shinagawa and Samezu sections of the No. 3 Haneda Line, ▽near the Ikejiri/Sangenjaya entrances of the No. 2040 Shibuya Line, ▽Takebashi Junction and Edobashi Junction sections of the Tokyo Central Circular Line,

and ▽near the Ginza and
Kyobashi entrances of the Tokyo Central Circular Line.

Of these, in the sections of Takebashi Junction and Edobashi Junction of the Tokyo Central Circular Route, the elevated part that covers the top of the Japan Bridge in Chuo Ward is planned to be relocated underground.

The construction is scheduled to end in fiscal 1, and they are considering closing the road due to construction on the Yaesu Line.

In addition to the sections that are already under construction, damage was also found in the undersea tunnel of the No. <> Haneda Line and the Arakawa Bay Bridge on the Expressway Coast Line, and the need for large-scale construction has been pointed out, and the Metropolitan Expressway Company is considering future measures.