Expressways of Japan

Expressways of Japan

The expressways (高速道路 "kōsokudōro", lit. "high-speed road") of Japan make up a large network of freeway-standard toll roads.

History

Following World War II, Japan's economic revival led to a massive increase in personal automobile use. However the existing road system was inadequate to deal with the increased demand; in 1956 only 23% of national highways were paved, which included only two thirds of the main Tokyo-Osaka road (National Route 1).

In April 1956 the Japan Highway Public Corporation (JH) was established by the national government with the task of constructing and managing a nationwide network of expressways. In 1957 permission was given to the corporation to commence construction of the Meishin Expressway linking Nagoya and Kobecite web| url= http://www.bnm.gov.my/microsites/rcicc/papers/s5.kimura.pdf | title= Transport Infrastructure Development in Japan and Korea: Drawing Lessons for the Philippines | accessdate= 2008-04-11 | format=pdf] , the first section of which opened to traffic in 1963. [cite web| url= http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/hist/hist2.html | title= History of Japanese Roads | author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-11 ]

In addition to the national expressway network administered by JH, the government established additional corporations to construct and manage expressways in urban areas. The Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation (responsible for the Shuto Expressway) was established in 1959, and the Hanshin Expressway Public Corporation (responsible for the Hanshin Expressway) was established in 1962. By 2004 the lengths of their networks had extended to 283 km and 234 km respectively. [cite web| url= http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/contents03/3-2-1.html | title= Roads in Japan - Metropolitan Ring Roads | author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-11 ]

In 1966 a plan was formally enacted for a 7,600 km national expressway network. Under this plan construction of expressways running parallel to the coastlines of Japan would be given priority over those traversing the mountainous interior. ] In 1987 the plan was revised to extend the network to 14,000 km. As of March 2005, completed sections of the network total 8,730 km. [cite web| url= http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/contents03/3-1-1.html | title= Roads in Japan - Arterial High-standard Highways | author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-11 ]

In October 2005 JH, the Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation, the Hanshin Expressway Public Corporation, and the Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Authority (managing three fixed-link connections between Honshū and Shikoku) were privatized under the reform policies of the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The expressway network of JH was divided into three companies based on geography - East Nippon Expressway Company (E-NEXCO), Central Nippon Expressway Company (C-NEXCO), and West Nippon Expressway Company (W-NEXCO). The Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation transferred its authority to the Metropolitan Expressway Company, while the Hanshin Expressway Public Corporation transferred its authority to the Hanshin Expressway Company. The Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority became the Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Company, whose operations are planned to eventually be absorbed into those of W-NEXCO.

National Expressways

nihongo|National expressways|高速自動車国道|Kōsoku Jidōsha Kokudō make up the majority of expressways in Japan. This network boasts an uninterrupted link between Aomori Prefecture at the northern part of Honshū and Kagoshima Prefecture at the southern part of Kyūshū, linking Shikoku as well. Additional expressways serve travellers in Hokkaidō and on Okinawa Island, although those are not connected to the Honshū-Kyūshū-Shikoku grid.

Features

Most expressways are 4 lanes with a central reservation (median). Some expressways in close proximity to major urban areas are 6 lanes, while some in rural areas are 2 lanes only with a barrier on the center line. 2-laned sections are built to a standard that allows conversion to 4 lanes in the future. [cite web| url= http://www.c-nexco.co.jp/english/pdf/nexco_english.pdf | title= NEXCO-Central Business Outline | accessdate= 2008-04-13 | format=pdf]

Speed limits are normally 100 km/h, and a minimum speed of 50 km/h is also enforced. Vehicles unable to reach 50 km/h, such tractors and mopeds, are forbidden from using the expressways. [cite book
author = The Traffic Bureau of the National Police Agency
title = Rules of the Road
date = 2001
pages = p.72-74
publisher = Japan Automobile Federation
] Speed limits may also be reduced temporarily (due to adverse driving conditions) or permanently (in accident-prone areas) as speed limit signs can be adjusted electronically.

Many rest facilities such as parking areas (usually only with toilets or small shops) and service areas (usually with many more amenities such as restaurants and gas stations) serve travellers along national expressways.

Tolls

National expressways are expensive to use, with the 325.5-km journey from Tokyo to Nagoya on the Tōmei Expressway costing ¥7100 in tolls for an ordinary car. [cite book
title = nihongo|All-Japan Road Atlas|全日本道路地図帖|Zen-Nippon Dōro Chizuchō
date = 2003
pages = p.155
publisher = Tokyo Chizu Shuppan
]

With a few exceptions, tolls on national expressways are based on distance travelled. When entering the expressway, one collects a ticket, which can be inserted along with the fare into a machine or handed to an attendant upon exiting the expressway. There is also an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) card system installed in many cars which automatically pays at the toll gate. As of 2001 toll fees consist of a 150 yen terminal charge plus a fee which depends on the distance travelled. The rate of this fee depends on the type of vehicle as shown in the following table. ]

Tolls are always rounded to the nearest 50 yen and include consumption tax. If there are two or more possible routes from the entrance to the exit, the toll will be calculated based on the shortest (cheapest) route.

Tolls collected from all routes are pooled into a single fund and are used to repay the entire network.cite web| url= http://www.ersa.org/ersaconfs/ersa06/papers/226.pdf | title= Privatization of the Japan Highway Public Corporation: Policy Assessment | accessdate= 2008-04-11 | format=pdf] It is expected that all national expressways in Japan will be fully repaid 45 years after privatization (2050). [cite web| url= http://www.jehdra.go.jp/english/framework.html | title= Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency | accessdate= 2008-04-13 ]

Some future national expressways are planned to be built according to the New Direct Control System, whereby national and local governments will absorb the burden for expressway construction [cite web| url= http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/activity/const/new_technique.html | title= nihongo|Cooperation on New Direct Control System Sections|新直轄方式区間への協力|Shinchokkatsu Hōshiki Kukan e no Kyōryoku | accessdate= 2008-04-13 ] and operate toll-free upon completion. [cite web| url= http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/wordbox/display/539/ | title= Nishinippon Shimbun Wordbox | accessdate= 2008-04-13 ]

Urban expressways

nihongo|Urban expressways|都市高速道路|Toshi Kōsokudōro are intra-city expressways which are found in many of Japan's largest urban areas. Due to lack of space many of these expressways are constructed as viaducts running above local roads. The two largest networks are the Shuto Expressway in the Tokyo area and the Hanshin Expressway in the Osaka area. There are other smaller networks in Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kitakyūshū, and Fukuoka. Each network is managed separately from each other (the Fukuoka and Kitakyūshū Expressways are managed by the same company but are not physically connected to each other).

Currently all urban expressways operate on a flat-rate toll system (the toll is the same regardless of the distance travelled on the network), however both the Shuto Expressway and Hanshin Expressway are planning to move to a distance-based toll system for vehicles equipped with ETC. [cite web| url= http://www.shutoko.jp/etc/guide/kyoribetu-ryokin/ | title= nihongo|Shuto Expressway Distance-based Tolling|首都高 距離別料金|Shutokō Kyoribetsu Ryōkin Website| accessdate= 2008-04-13 ] [cite web| url= http://www.hanshin-exp.co.jp/drivers/ryoukin/topics/kyoriryoukin.html | title= nihongo|Hanshin Expressway is changing to distance-based tolling in 2008|平成20年度 阪神高速は距離料金へ|Heisei Nijūnendo Hanshin Kōsoku ha Kyoriryōkin e | accessdate= 2008-04-13 ]

Others

All roads in Japan that are built to expressway standards (including national and urban expressways themselves) are known as nihongo|Roads for motor vehicles only|自動車専用道路|Jidōsha Senyō Dōro. If a road for motor vehicles only cannot be classified as a national or urban expressway, it may be classified into one of the following categories.

*nihongo|National highway for motor vehicles only with national expressway concurrency|高速自動車国道に並行する一般国道自動車専用道路|Kōsoku Jidōsha Kokudō ni Heikōsuru Ippan Kokudō Jidōsha Senyō Dōro
**Roads in this category are built to facilitate future incorporation into the main route of a national expressway. Examples include the Yonezawa Nan-yō Road, the Higashi-Mito Road and the Futtsu Tateyama Road.

*nihongo|National highway for motor vehicles only|一般国道の自動車専用道路|Ippan Kokudō no Jidōsha Senyō Dōro
**Roads in this category are national highways built to expressway standards as designated by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Examples include the Ken-Ō Expressway and the Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway.

References

External links

*ja icon [http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/ East Nippon Expressway Company]
* [http://www.c-nexco.co.jp/english/ Central Nippon Expressway Company]
*ja icon [http://www.w-nexco.co.jp/ West Nippon Expressway Company]
* [http://www.jb-honshi.co.jp/english/index.html Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Company]
* [http://www.shutoko.jp/english/ Metropolitan Expressway Company]
*ja icon [http://www.nagoya-expressway.or.jp/ Nagoya Expressway Public Corporation]
*ja icon [http://www.hanshin-exp.co.jp/drivers/index.html Hanshin Expressway Company]
*ja icon [http://www.h-exp.or.jp/ Hiroshima Expressway Public Corporation]
* [http://www.fk-tosikou.or.jp/english/ Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Expressway Public Corporation]
* [http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/index_e.html Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Road Bureau]
** [http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/contents03/3-1-2.html Map of expressway routes]


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