Overview
- Osaka City lifted traffic restrictions around 3 p.m. on March 17 on the under‑elevated surface road of Shin‑Midosuji that had been closed since March 11.
- The reopened stretch covers roughly 600 meters between the Tsurunocho‑kita and Doyama‑cho intersections in Kita Ward.
- Lane reductions remain in place near the protruding pipe, with northbound lanes narrowed and some merge lanes and a nearby crosswalk still closed.
- The elevated roadway above the site was reopened earlier on March 13 after separate safety checks.
- The 3.5‑meter‑wide, 27‑meter‑long, 56‑ton steel pipe—installed for sewer and stormwater works—rose up to about 13 meters on March 11 and now protrudes about 1.6 meters as officials investigate a likely groundwater‑buoyancy cause and consider cutting the exposed section for a full reopening.