Tōmei Expressway

Infobox_road
highway_name = Tōmei Expressway (東名高速道路)
marker_

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length = 346.8 km [cite web| url= http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/kyoku/road/jikoku/station/toumei.html | title= Road Timetable |author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-05-20 ]
established = 1968 [cite web| url= http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/3kanjo/history/index.htm | title= History of Tokyo's 3 Ring Roads |author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-17 ] [cite web| url= http://www.dokokyo.or.jp/data/nenpyo/1968.htm | title= Construction History of Japan |author= Japan Civil Engineering Contractors' Association | accessdate= 2008-05-20 ]
first_open =
starting_terminus = Tokyo Interchange in Setagaya, Tokyo

Tokyo Metropolitan Route 311
cities = Kawasaki, Yokohama, Atsugi, Fuji, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Toyokawa, Toyota, Nagoya, Kasugai
ending_terminus = Komaki Interchange in Komaki, Aichi

The nihongo|Tōmei Expressway|東名高速道路|Tōmei Kōsoku Dōro is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company.

Naming

The word Tōmei is an acronym consisting of two kanji characters. The first character refers to nihongo|Tokyo|東京 and the second refers to nihongo|Nagoya|名古屋, which are the two major urban areas linked by the expressway.

Officially the expressway is designated as the First Tōkai Expressway. [cite web| url= http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ir/ir-yosan/h20/s07.pdf | title= High Standard Trunk Road Map |author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-13 | format=pdf] A Second Tōkai Expressway (operating as the New Tōmei Expressway) is under construction parallel to the existing route which will alleviate congestion problems in the near term.

The expressway is also a part of Route AH1 of the Asian Highway Network. [Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, [http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/Publications/TIS_pubs/pub_2303/Full%20version.pdf 2003 Asian Highway Handbook] , 2003, page 54 shows an aerial photo of the Yokohama Aoba Interchange, placing AH1 clearly on the Tomei Expressway rather than the other Tokyo-Nagoya expressway, the Chūō Expressway.] [cite web| url= http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/common/TIS/AH/files/japanhp.xls | title= Sectional AH Data for Japan |author= UNESCAP Asian Highway Network Project | accessdate= 2008-05-20 | format=excel]

Overview

The Tōmei Expressway is an important roadway linking Tokyo and Nagoya. It is the most heavily travelled roadway operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company, with some sections used by more than 100,000 vehicles a day.cite web| url= http://www.c-nexco.co.jp/english/pdf/nexco_english.pdf | title= C-NEXCO Business Outline | accessdate= 2008-05-20 | format=pdf]

The first sections were opened to traffic in 1968 and the entire route was completed in 1969. [cite web| url= http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/3kanjo/history/index.htm | title= History of Tokyo's 3 Ring Roads |author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-17 ]

From the origin in western Tokyo the expressway follows a westerly route through Kanagawa Prefecture, paralleling National Route 246 and passing to the north of Yokohama. The route continues west into Shizuoka Prefecture, passing to the south of Mount Fuji and along the coastline of Suruga Bay, paralleling National Route 1 and the historic Tōkaidō highway before reaching the city of Shizuoka. The expressway continues west, passing Lake Hamana in western Shizuoka Prefecture, and crosses into Aichi Prefecture. The expressway then heads northwest, passing to the east of the city of Nagoya and meeting the terminus of the Chūō Expressway before terminating at an interchange in the city of Komaki to the north of Nagoya. Although the Tōmei Expressway ends at this point, the roadway continues as the Meishin Expressway towards Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe.

List of interchanges and features

* IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, TN - tunnel, TB - toll gate, BR - bridge

Lanes

* Sections with left and right routes formerly carried 2 lanes of traffic in each direction. An additional roadway (carrying 3 lanes of traffic in one direction only) has been constructed parallel to the existing 4 lanes to alleviate congestion. The original 4 lanes are then converted for the use of traffic in the opposite direction.

References

See also

* Asian Highway Network
* Central Nippon Expressway Company
* Expressways of Japan

External links

* [http://www.c-nexco.co.jp/english/ Central Nippon Expressway Company]