A bridge that’s so steep it has earned the nickname ‘rollercoaster bridge’ is located in Japan and sees thousands of vehicles pass over it every day. Often considered one of the steepest in the world, the Eshima Ohashi bridge connects Matsue, in the Shimane Prefecture, with Sakaiminato in the Tottori Prefecture.

People say they have ‘nightmares’ after looking at pictures and videos of this bridge, which cost a staggering £119m to build. In certain images, it appears as though vehicles have to struggle up at a very sharp angle. It’s around 1.1 miles long, standing at 147 feet as it crosses over the Nakaumi Lake.

The bridge was built between 1997 and 2004, replacing a drawbridge that was there before. However, this had some serious design flaws.

For example, it could only accommodate 4,000 vehicles every day. Nowadays, around 14,900 vehicles make the crossing in a 24-hour period. It was also obstructed by ships for around eight minutes at a time, and only vehicles under 14 tons were allowed to use it.

In terms of gradient, it measures around 6.1% on the Shimane side, which is where it’s usually photographed from. On the other side, it’s slightly lower at 5.1%.

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Pictures and videos of the bridge often go viral on social media, sparking discussion about how ‘terrifying’ it looks. Taking to Reddit, one person said: “One of my lifelong reoccurring nightmares involves bridges that look like this.”

Another commented: “Oh. My. God. I get terrified shivers just looking at these pictures. Massive phobia of heights, I don’t think I’d do well on that bad boy.”

However, it’s worth noting that pictures of this bridge are often taken using a telephoto lens, making it look a lot more dramatic than it actually is. It’s still fairly steep, and extra care is needed during the winter months to prevent it from becoming covered in ice and snow.

According to the Japan National Tourist Organisation, it’s often considered one of the ‘craziest’ or ‘scariest’ bridge. Even if you don’t have a car, you can walk or cycle over it, and it’s a great spot for pictures.

There’s also telescopes and binoculars available for tourists to see out across the lake when the weather is clear enough.