Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway

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Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway (日本海東北自動車道)
Length:	53.6 km (tolled sections)[1]
Formed:	2001
From:	Niigata-Chūō Junction in Niigata, Niigata Hokuriku Expressway Ban-etsu Expressway
To:	Kawabe Junction in Akita, Akita Akita Expressway
Major cities:	Shibata, Tainai, Tsuruoka, Sakata, Nikaho, Yurihonjō

The Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway (日本海東北自動車道, Nihonkai Tōhoku Jidōsha-dō^?) is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

[edit] Naming

The course of the expressway takes it alongside the coastline of the Japan Sea (Nihonkai) in the Tōhoku region of Japan.

The Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway is the operating name for the sections of the Nihonkai Engan Tōhoku Expressway that are operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. The Nihonkai Engan Tōhoku Expressway is an official designation consisting of several routes that link Niigata with Aomori via Yamagata and Akita^[2], reaching a total of approximately 322 km.^[3]

[edit] Overview

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 2001. As of March 2008 the expressway incomplete in many areas. The next section is scheduled to open in 2009 (Nakajō Interchange to Arakawa Interchange)^[4] to coincide with the National Sports Festival which is planned to be held in Niigata that year. After this, all future sections will be built according to the New Direct Control System, whereby the burden for construction costs will be shared by the national and local governments and no tolls will be collected. Currently the section between Honjō Interchange and Iwaki Interchange operates according to this principle.^[5]

The expressway is 4 lanes from Niigata-Chūō Junction to Toyosaka Service Area, and 2 lanes for all remaining sections.

The route parallels the Uetsu Main Line of East Japan Railway Company and National Route 7 for much of its length.

[edit] List of interchanges and features

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

[edit] Niigata - Yamagata section

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Dist. from Terminus	Bus Stop	Notes	Location
Through to Hokuriku Expressway
(42)	Niigata-Chūō JCT	Ban-etsu Expressway	0.0	36.9			Kōnan-ku, Niigata	Niigata
1[43]	Niigata-Kameda IC	National Route 49	3.2	33.7
BS	Nishino Bus Stop		7.4	29.5	○
2[44]	Niigata Airport IC	Pref. Route 16 (Niigata Kameda Uchino Route)	9.2	27.7
SA	Toyosaka SA/SIC		11.7	25.2		SIC: Nakajō-bound exit, Niigata-bound entrance only	Kita-ku, Niigata
BS	Kuzutsuka Bus Stop		16.6	20.3	○
3	Toyosaka- Niigatahigashikō IC	Pref. Route 46 (Niigata Ōsoto Kanjō Route)	18.3	18.6
4	Seirō Shibata IC	National Route 7 (Niigata Bypass)	25.7	11.2	○		Seirō
BS	Kajikawa-Shiunji Bus Stop		31.6	5.3	○		Shibata
5	Nakajō IC	Pref. Route 591 (Nakajō Inter Route)	36.9	0.0			Tainai
<TB>	Nakajō Toll Gate					Planned
<6>	Arakawa IC	National Route 113				Opens in 2009	Arakawa
<PA>	Arakawa PA					Planned
<7>	Murakami IC	National Route 7				Planned	Kamihayashi
<8>	Asahi IC	Pref. Route 208 (Koage Sarusawa Route)				Planned	Asahi
<9>	Sanpoku IC					Planned	Sanpoku
<10>	Atsumi IC					Opens in 2011	Tsuruoka	Yamagata
<11>	Sanzei IC					Opens in 2011 Atsumi-bound exit, Tsuruoka-bound entrance only
<13>	Tsuruoka JCT	Yamagata Expressway	↓	↑		Opens in 2011

[edit] Akita section

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Dist. from Terminus	Bus Stop	Notes	Location (all in Akita)
Through to Nikaho-Honjō Road
14	Honjō IC	National Route 107	0.0	38.4			Yurihonjō
14-1	Ōuchi JCT	National Route 105	9.2	29.2
14-2	Matsugasaki-Kameda IC		16.1	22.3
TN	Futago Tunnel		↓	↑
15	Iwaki IC	Pref. Route 44 (Yūwa Iwaki Route)	21.6	16.8
TB	Akita Airport Toll Gate		35.5	2.9			Akita
16	Akita Airport IC	Pref. Route 61 (Akita Goshono Yūwa Route)	35.9	2.5
(5-1)	Kawabe JCT	Akita Expressway	38.4	0.0

[edit] References

1. ^ E-NEXCO Expressway Data. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
2. ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. High Standard Trunk Road Map (pdf). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
3. ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Nihonkai Engan Tohoku Expressway Construction Status. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
4. ^ E-NEXCO Opening Schedule. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
5. ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Nihonkai Engan Tohoku Expressway Construction Status. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.

[edit] External links

• (Japanese) East Nippon Expressway Company

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