Kyoto City announced on October 2, 2023 that renovation work on the Sanjo Ohashi Bridge over the Kamogawa River is expected to be completed by the end of December, three months ahead of schedule. Starting in January 2024, the area around the Kamogawa River and the plain wooden railings that have been newly constructed for the first time in half a century will be illuminated, which will improve the nighttime scenery and the appeal of the surrounding area.
Sanjo Ohashi Bridge was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and became a popular bridge in the Edo period as the western starting point of the Tokaido Highway. Renovation work began in September last year with the aim of updating the aging railings and resurfacing the sidewalks and roads. The original scheduled completion date was March next year, but it is now expected that the project can be moved forward due to schedule adjustments.
The newly updated railings are made from cypress grown in Kyoto City. At the foot of the balustrade, LED lights have been installed along the entire length of the bridge, approximately 73 meters long, and the entire balustrade is illuminated gently at night. The sidewalks will also be renovated with silver-brown checkered blocks. The project cost is approximately 500 million yen, but the burden on Kyoto City will be ''zero'' due to the use of national subsidies and donations such as hometown tax payments.
Kyoto City plans to light up the bridge along the Kamogawa River in addition to the railings on a trial basis from January 2024 upon completion of the renovation. The Kyoto City Construction Bureau said, ''We want people to experience the culture and history of the bridge, which has been renovated for the first time in half a century, including some new experiments.''
