The Kesennuma Bay Crossing Bridge, as its name suggests, is a bridge that crosses over Kesennuma Bay and connects the Kesennuma Port IC to the Urashima-Oshima IC on the Sanriku Coast Expressway. With a total length of 1,344 meters, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Tohoku, in which the bridge girders are supported by steel cables fixed on the main towers. In March 2021, the section between Kesennuma IC and Karakuwa Peninsula IC, including this bridge, was opened to traffic, connecting the entire section within Miyagi Prefecture (approximately 126 km) of the Sanriku Coast Expressway, a toll road being developed to support the region’s recovery. The expressway will directly connect the cities of Sendai and Miyako, in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures, respectively. When completed, it will bring many benefits to the region, including improved logistics efficiency, expanded networks of interaction, and a strengthened emergency medical system.
In addition, the nickname “Kanae Ohashi” was chosen from names submitted by the public. “Kanae” is a reference to the old name of Kesennuma Bay, Kanae-ga-ura. The word also means “to fulfill” hopes and dreams. Beautifully lit up at night starting at dusk, the bridge has become a new landmark of Kesennuma City.