Tōmei Expressway
 | |
|---|---|
 東名高速道路 | |
 | |
| Route information | |
Part of  AH1 | |
| Length | 346.8 km[3] (215.5 mi) |
| Existed | 1968[1][2]–present |
| Major junctions | |
| From | Tokyo Interchange in Setagaya, Tokyo Shuto Expressway Shibuya RouteTokyo Metropolitan Route 311 |
| To | Komaki Interchange in Komaki, Aichi Meishin Expressway Nagoya Expressway Komaki Route National Route 41 |
| Location | |
| Country | Japan |
| Major cities | Kawasaki, Yokohama, Atsugi, Fuji, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Toyokawa, Toyota, Nagoya, Kasugai |
| Highway system | |
The 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. The expressway is designated as E1 under the "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering", because it parallels National Route 1.[4] It is a part of the Asian Highway Network. AH1
Naming
The word Tōmei is an acronym consisting of two kanji characters. The first character refers to Tokyo (東京) and the second refers to 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.[5] A Second Tōkai Expressway (operating as the Shin-Tōmei Expressway) is under construction parallel to the existing route which will alleviate congestion problems [6] in the near term.
The expressway is also a part of Route AH1 of the Asian Highway Network.[7][8]
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.[6]
The first sections were opened to traffic in 1968 and the entire route was completed in 1969.[1]
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
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Lanes
| Section | Tokyo-bound Lanes | Komaki-bound Lanes |
|---|---|---|
| Shuto Expressway - Tokyo IC | Two | |
| Tokyo IC - Ayase BS | Three | |
| Ayase BS - Ebina JCT | Four | Three |
| Ebina JCT - Ōi-Matsuda IC | Three | |
| Ōi-Matsuda IC - Ashigara BS | Three | Two (Left Route) + Two (Right Route) |
| Ashigara BS - Komakado PA | Three | |
| Komakado PA - Shizuoka IC | Two | |
| Shizuoka IC - Nihonzaka Tunnel | Three | Two |
| Nihonzaka Tunnel | Two (Left Route) + Two (Right Route) | Three |
| Nihonzaka Tunnel - Nihonzaka PA | Three | |
| Nihonzaka PA - Yaizu IC | Two | Three |
| Yaizu IC - Komaki IC | Two | |
- 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.
See also
References
- ^ a b Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "History of Tokyo's 3 Ring Roads". Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
- ^ Japan Civil Engineering Contractors' Association. "Construction History of Japan". Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "Road Timetable". Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ "Japan's Expressway Numbering System". www.mlit.go.jp. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "High Standard Trunk Road Map" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ a b "C-NEXCO Business Outline" (pdf). Retrieved 2008-05-20.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2003 Asian Highway Handbook Archived 2012-04-14 at the Wayback Machine, 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.
- ^ UNESCAP Asian Highway Network Project. "Sectional AH Data for Japan". Archived from the original (excel) on 2005-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
External links
| National Expressways | |
|---|---|
| Toll Roads | |
