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 ...