The New Midōsuji Road in Osaka, a major thoroughfare connecting northern Osaka, partially reopened at 3 PM on the 13th after an incident where a large steel pipe, intended for a rainwater storage facility, unexpectedly rose 13 meters from underground. This unexpected development had resulted in road closures and significant traffic disruptions in the surrounding area. Local officials were quick to conduct necessary safety checks, concluding their assessments by the same afternoon to ensure the safe reopening of the road.

The steel pipe, measuring 3.5 meters in diameter and 27 meters in length, weighs approximately 56 tons and was part of a construction project designed to connect a newly built rainwater storage facility with existing sewage systems. The emergence of the pipe was first observed on the morning of the 11th, prompting immediate action from municipal authorities to manage the situation and maintain public safety.

Although the road was reopened, access to certain exits and some areas beneath the elevated structures will remain closed as further assessments and repair works are ongoing. The Osaka city government has initiated filling the pipe with water in an effort to stabilize it, and while some progress has been made as the portion that projected above ground has been reduced by 1.6 meters by the evening of the 11th, a definitive timeline for the full reopening of the affected areas has yet to be established.