Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway sign
Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway
E41 東海北陸自動車道
Route information
Length185 km[1] (115 mi)
Existed1986[2]–present
Major junctions
FromIchinomiya Junction in Ichinomiya, Aichi
Meishin Expressway
ToOyabe-Tonami Junction in Oyabe and Tonami, Toyama
Nōetsu Expressway
Hokuriku Expressway
Location
CountryJapan
Major citiesKakamigahara, Gifu, Seki, Gujō, Takayama, Hida, Nanto, Tonami
Highway system

The Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway (東海北陸自動車道, Tōkaihokuriku Jidōsha-dō) is a national expressway in the Chūbu region on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is managed by Central Nippon Expressway Company. The route is signed E41 under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering."[3]

Overview

Tōkai and Hokuriku are the names of the two regions of Japan that are linked by the expressway.

The expressway begins at a junction with the Meishin Expressway to the northwest of the Nagoya urban area and follows a northerly course into Gifu Prefecture, passing the capital Gifu and heading further north into the mountainous Hida region. The expressway also passes by Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites straddling the border between Gifu Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture. The expressway continues north through western Toyama Prefecture to its terminus at a junction with the Hokuriku Expressway and the Nōetsu Expressway.

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1986. The final section of the expressway (25 km between Hida-Kiyomi Interchange and Shirakawagō Interchange) was opened on July 5, 2008.[1] A major component of this section is the Hida Tunnel, the second longest road tunnel in Japan[4] after the Kan-Etsu Tunnel. A total of 1.22 trillion yen was spent on planning and construction of the expressway over 36 years.[5]

The expressway is 4 lanes from Ichinomiya Junction to Fukubegatake Parking Area, and 2 lanes on all other sections. Construction to expand the route to 4 lanes is currently underway on the section between Fukubegatake Parking Area and Shirotori Interchange.[6] The speed limit is 80 km/h on 4-laned sections and 70 km/h on 2-laned sections.[1]

Features

At 1,086 meters, Matsunoki Pass between Shōkawa Interchange and Hida-Kiyomi Interchange is the highest point in the national expressway network.[7] A parking area is planned to open at this point.

There are a total of 54 tunnels either completed or under construction. After the Hida Tunnel, the Hakamagoshi Tunnel (between Fukumitsu Interchange and Gokayama Interchange) is the longest. Trucks carrying hazardous materials are forbidden from using the tunnel and must use alternate routes.

The piers on the Washimi Bridge (between Shōkawa Interchange and Takasu Interchange) are the tallest in Japan, at 118 m.[8]

List of interchanges and features

No. Name Connections Dist. from
Origin (km)		 Bus Stop Notes Location
1 Ichinomiya-Inazawa-kita IC Pref. Route 14 (Gifu Inazawa Route) (Nishi-Owari Chūō Road) Ichinomiya Aichi
25-1 Ichinomiya JCT Meishin Expressway 0.0
1-1 Ichinomiya-nishi IC Pref. Route 14 (Gifu Inazawa Route) 1.0 Gifu-bound exit, Ichinomiya JCT-bound entrance only
2 Bisai IC Pref. Route 148 (Hagiwara Sanjō Kitagata Route) 3.9 Ichinomiya JCT-bound exit, Gifu-bound entrance only
3 Ichinomiya-Kisogawa IC National Route 22 (Meigi Bypass) 7.7
PA Kawashima PA 11.3 Highway Oasis Kakamigahara Gifu
4 Gifu-Kakamigahara IC National Route 21 (Naka Bypass) 13.3
BS Sohara BS 18.8 ○ Gifu
5 Seki IC National Route 248 (Seki Bypass) 25.5 Seki
BS Kose BS 27.8 ○
SA Seki SA 28.0 Gifu-bound only
SA Nagaragawa SA 30.1 Takayama-bound only
5-1 Mino-Seki JCT Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway 31.1
6 Mino IC Pref. Route 94 (Gifu Mino Route) 32.4 ○ Mino
PA Kojōzan PA 38.4 Mino-bound only
7 Minami IC National Route 156 49.6 ○ Gujō
PA Fukubegatake PA 50.8 Takayama-bound only
8 Gujō-Hachiman IC National Route 156 59.8 ○
- Hachiman JCT Nōbi-Ōdan Expressway Planned
9/PA Gifu-Yamato IC/PA Pref. Route 52 (Shirotori Itadori Route) 66.0 ○
10 Shirotori IC Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway
Pref. Route 82 (Shirotori Meihō Route)		 76.4
11 Takasu IC Pref. Route 45 (Takasu Inter Route) 84.4
11-1/SA Hiruganokōgen SA/
SIC		 Pref. Route 321 (Hiruganokōgen Route) 91.5 ○
12 Shōkawa IC National Route 158 98.3 Takayama
PA Matsunokitōge PA 109.2
109.5		 Oyabe-bound
Ichinomiya-bound
13 Hida-Kiyomi IC/
JCT		 Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway
National Route 158		 117.3
PA Hida-Kawai PA 130.2 Hida
TN Hida Tunnel Length - 10,712 m
Shirakawa
14 Shirakawagō IC National Route 156 142.2
PA Hida-Shirakawa PA 143.6
143.5		 Oyabe-bound
Ichinomiya-bound
15 Gokayama IC National Route 156 157.4 Nanto Toyama
TN Hakamagoshi Tunnel 165.3 Length - 5,939 m, dangerous goods forbidden
SA Jōhana SA/
SIC		 169.9 ○ Highway Oasis
SIC open in 2019
16 Fukumitsu IC National Route 304 173.8
17 Nanto SIC Pref. Route 279 (Yasui Fukuno Route) 181.4
19 Oyabe-Tonami JCT Hokuriku Expressway 184.8 Tonami
Oyabe
Through to E41 Nōetsu Expressway

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway Official Website. "Opening of Completed Expressway". Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  2. ↑ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "History of the Expressway Network in the Greater Nagoya Area". Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  3. ↑ "Japan's Expressway Numbering System". www.mlit.go.jp.
  4. ↑ Japan Tunnelling Association. "2005 Activity Report". Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
  5. ↑ "36 years and 1.22 trillion yen later, Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway finally opens". Mainichi Daily News. July 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  6. ↑ "NEXCO-Central Business Outline" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  7. ↑ Gifu Prefectural Government. "Gifu Internet Broadcast Station". Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
  8. ↑ Gifu Prefectural Government. "Gifu Internet Broadcast Station". Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-18.

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