Tokyo's "Dinosaur Bridge" opens to vehicles Sunday after 10 years of construction, with the world's largest metropolis hoping it will cut traffic jams that slow vehicles to half of the nation's average highway speed and boost its economy.
The 2,618-meter span, officially named the Tokyo Gate Bridge, was given its nickname because of its shape, which resembles two dinosaurs facing each other. The government estimates that it will generate ¥19 billion in economic benefits a year by nearly halving journey times to container terminals in Tokyo Bay.
Built at an estimated cost of ¥113 billion, it's forecast to carry about 32,000 vehicles a day between Tokyo's eastern fringe and a man-made island where a new container terminal is being built.