There's a bridge in Japan that looks terrifyingly steep

James Grebey

May 31, 2016, 21:16 IST

If you suffer from Gephyrophobia - the fear of bridges - then you should probably stay away from the vertigo-inducing overpass linking the cities of Matsue and Sakaiminato in Japan's Tottori Prefecture.

The Eshima Ohashi Bridge is staggeringly tall, and looks terrifyingly steep when viewed head-on.

mstk east/Flickr

Thankfully for drivers, the span isn't quite as vertical as it looks. Constructed in 2010, the bridge is nearly a mile long and has a sharp incline to allow ships to pass underneath.

One side rises with a gradient of 6.1% while the other juts up at 5.1%, but when viewed straight-on it looks like it shoots up at a scary 45 degree angle.

mstk east/Flickr

The Eshima Ohashi is the third-largest bridge of its type in the world, and the largest rigid frame bridge in Japan.

Since its construction, the bridge has become a modest tourist attraction in addition to a busy roadway, but reviews on sites like TripAdvisor say it's a bit underwhelming in person.