# Railway

Taking Responsibility for the "Once In a Century" Shibuya Great Renovation <Part 1>

The large-scale redevelopment of the area around Shibuya station is said to be a "once in a century" event, not because many skyscrapers will be built. It is because it is an attempt to reinvent the area into a completely new town through cooperation between the public and private sectors, moving the station, changing the flow of the river, and creating a new pedestrian network. Moreover, it is unprecedented in that it will be realized while maintaining the functions of a huge terminal. PACIFIC CONSULTANTS has been involved in this project since the early planning stages and continues to support it up to day. We talked to five people who have been central persons in the project for many years: Ryuji KOWAKI, Hisashi KUBO, Takayasu NIWA, Yoshio NAMIKI, and Terue KAMINO.

Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga Extension Project Vol.3 ~ Kakehashigawa Bridge ~

The Kakehashi River is a first-class river that originates at Suzugatake in Komatsu City, flows north through the mountains, enters the plains, then changes direction to the west before flowing into the Sea of Japan. The downstream area is surrounded by the Komatsu city area, making it a valuable open space and a place of relaxation for local residents, who go for walks, fishing, boating, etc. It is also in this downstream section that the Hokuriku Shinkansen crosses the Kakehashi River just before Komatsu Station, and because the river is wide, bridge piers must be built across the river channel. As well as flood control, it became more important than anything to reach an agreement with the river manager, who is promoting the development and conservation of the river environment that is loved by local residents.

Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga Extension Project Vol.2 ~Miyama Tunnel~

The Miyama Tunnel, located just before the end of the line at Tsuruga Station, is less than 800 meters long. It is much shorter than the Shin-Hokuriku Tunnel (approximately 19.8 km) and the Kaga Tunnel (approximately 5.5 km). However, this tunnel was one of the tunnels that required particular environmental consideration in the construction of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension. Miyama is one of the water sources for the Nakaikemi Wetland - a wetland designated with Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and it was necessary to minimize the impact on the groundwater.

Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga Extension Project Vol.1 ~ Okura Yoza Bridge ~

The Shinkansen, which travels at a speed of 260km per hour, requires extremely high precision in its bridge piers. The allowable deflection is only a few millimeters. This is why engineers who aspire to be civil engineers think, "I want to work on the Shinkansen someday." Furthermore, the Okura Yoza Bridge had to be built on soft ground with a maximum pier's height of about 30m. This was one of the most difficult projects in the long history of Shinkansen construction.