Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
March 5, 2009 A short but pivotal extension of the Northeastern Line of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) was opened between the line’s station in Nong Khai City in northeastern Thailand and – via the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River – the newly built Thanaleng station in the village of Dongphosy... Continue Reading →
February 12, 2012 Tokyo Gate Bridge in Japan’s capital city was first opened to general traffic at around 10:00 a.m. Construction on this 8,589-foot (2,618 meters)-long truss cantilever truss bridge in Tokyo’s municipality (special ward) of Kōtō had started a decade earlier. The bridge carries motor vehicles as well as pedestrians across Tokyo Bay at... Continue Reading →
December 10, 1987 The Tsing Yi North Bridge in Hong Kong was officially dedicated. This prestressed balanced cantilever bridge, spanning the body of water known as Rambler Channel, connects the Tam Kon Shan Interchange on the northern part of Tsing Yi Island with the Tsuen Tsing Interchange (also called the Texaco Road Roundabout) in the... Continue Reading →
October 20, 2020 In the Republic of Indonesia, a recently completed international airport was formally opened in the village of Tanak Awu on the island of Lombok (part of the province of West Nusa Tenngara). This facility replaced Selaparang Airport, which is located in the town of Ampenan and had been closed three weeks earlier,... Continue Reading →
August 10, 2003 In Japan, a monorail line serving the city of Naha on Okinawa Island made its official debut. While Okinawa previously had railroad, trolley, and horse-drawn streetcar services, the Okinawa Urban Monorail (also known as Yui Rail) became the first rail line to operate on the island since World War II. The monorail... Continue Reading →
August 7, 1933 About 56 hours after flying out of New York City, French aviators Maurice Rossi and Paul Codos completed their airborne journey of 5,657 miles (9,105 kilometers) in the town of Riyaq (also known as Rayak) in the present-day Republic of Lebanon. (At the time of this flight, Lebanon was part of the... Continue Reading →
June 23, 1998 Bangabandhu Bridge, which crosses the Jamuna River in north-central Bangladesh, made its debut. This road-rail bridge serves as a key link between the upazila (administrative region) of Bhuapur on the east side of the Jamuna River and the city of Sirajganj on the river’s west bank. Bangabandhu Bridge was officially opened by... Continue Reading →
June 19, 1999 A new lighthouse first went into service at the village of Oluvil on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. Oluvil Lighthouse was officially inaugurated by M.H.M Ashraff, Sri Lanka’s minister for port development, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. A cylindrical concrete tower, the 79-foot (24-meter)-tall lighthouse was built as part of the planned development... Continue Reading →
June 12, 1872 A new transportation era dawned in Japan when the first section of a railway line in that country began operations. That initial section of railway provided passenger service between the Yokohama (now Sakuragichō) Station and the Shinagawa Station in the Tokyo region. The start of regular train service in the Land of the... Continue Reading →
June 8, 1985 The first segments of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway were opened in Japan. The first of these sections serves as a connection between the cities of Awaji and Sumoto on Awaji Island in Hyōgo Prefecture. The other section was built between the town of Seidan (part of the city of Minamiawaji since 2005), likewise... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 