Osaka's Unique Urban Design: A Highway Through a Building

Osaka's Unique Urban Design: A Highway Through a Building

Japan, an island nation with limited flat land, often requires numerous tunnels and bridges to traverse mountains, valleys, seas, and rivers. Notable examples include the Aqua-Line, Yokohama Bay Bridge on the Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route, and the Seto Ohashi Bridge on the Seto-Chuo Expressway. However, among these impressive structures, one particularly stands out: a highway passing through a building in Osaka.

This remarkable structure involves the Hanshin Expressway passing through the fifth to seventh floors of a building. Despite appearances, the building and the road are not actually connected; they are separate structures with a hole in the building allowing the highway to pass through. Therefore, even if the building were demolished, the highway would remain unaffected. This globally rare sight can be witnessed at the Gate Tower Building in Osaka.


The entrance directory lists "Hanshin Expressway" between the fifth and seventh floors, but the elevators do not stop there. This unusual situation arose from a conflict between a new building project and plans for the Hanshin Expressway's Umeda exit. Both sides refused to back down, and after years of negotiation, the current solution was reached.
The building was constructed as the first application of the "multi-level road system," introduced in 1989 when the Road Act was amended. In major urban centers, road construction typically requires extensive land acquisition and incurs massive costs. Securing cooperation from landowners is also often challenging. The amended Road Act addressed these issues by allowing roads and property owners to coexist through the multi-level road system. This system permits the construction of buildings in the space above and below roads, optimizing land use and integrating road and building development.

Driving on this highway offers the surreal experience of seemingly plunging into a building. However, the highway section is enclosed like a tunnel, so the building's interior is not visible from inside a vehicle. "Due to physical constraints, this route was unavoidable. For noise and fire safety reasons, there are no windows facing the highway on these floors, and it is not possible to see the Hanshin Expressway from within the building," explained a representative.


When you visit Osaka, make sure to experience this unique aspect of urban design.


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