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

Tōmei Expressway sign
Tōmei Expressway
E1 東名高速道路
[[File:Map|300px|alt=]]
Tōmei Expressway in red
Route information
Part of AH1
Length346.8 km[3] (215.5 mi)
Existed1968[1][2]–present
Major junctions
FromTokyo Interchange in Setagaya, Tokyo
Shuto Expressway Shibuya Route
Tokyo Metropolitan Route 311
ToKomaki Interchange in Komaki, Aichi
Meishin Expressway
Nagoya Expressway Komaki Route
National Route 41
Location
CountryJapan
Major citiesKawasaki, Yokohama, Atsugi, Fuji, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Toyokawa, Toyota, Nagoya, Kasugai
Highway system

Naming edit

The word Tōmei is an acronym consisting of two kanji characters. The first character refers to Tokyo () and the second refers to Nagoya (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, and is intended to 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 edit

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 edit

No. Name Connections Dist. from
Origin
Bus Stop Notes Location
Through to   Shuto Expressway Shibuya Route
1 Tokyo IC Met. Route 311 (Kampachi-dori Ave.) 0.0 Setagaya Tokyo
- Tōmei JCT   Tokyo Gaikan Expressway Planned
BR Tamagawa Bridge Tama River crossing
Tama-ku, Kawasaki Kanagawa
- Shukugawara JCT   Shuto Expressway Kawasaki Route Planned
TB Tokyo Toll Gate/
Mukaigaoka Bus Stop
6.7 Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki
3 Tōmei-Kawasaki IC 7.6
BS Eda Bus Stop 10.5 Aoba-ku, Yokohama
3-1 Yokohama-Aoba IC   National Route 246
  Shuto Expressway Yokohama Northwest Route
13.3
PA Kōhoku PA 14.2 Midori-ku, Yokohama
4 Yokohama-Machida IC/
Yokohama Bus Stop
  National Route 16 (Yamato Bypass)
  National Route 246
   Hodogaya Bypass
19.7 X Bus Stop closed
BS Yamato Bus Stop 24.0 Yamato
TN Yamato Tunnel
BS Ayase Bus Stop 28.8 Ayase
- Ayase SIC Pref. Route 42 (Fujisawa Zama Atsugi Route) 33.9 Planned
SA Ebina SA 31.3 Ebina
4-1 Ebina JCT    Ken-Ō Expressway 33.9
5 Atsugi IC    Odawara-Atsugi Road
  National Route 129
  National Route 246
35.0 Atsugi
BS Atsugi Bus Stop 36.7
5-1 Isehara JCT   Shin-Tōmei Expressway 40.0 Isehara
BS Isehara Bus Stop 41.7
5-2 Hadano-Nakai IC/
Hadano Bus Stop
Pref. Route 71 (Hadano Ninomiya Route)
   Atsugi-Hadano Road (Planned)
50.1 Hadano
PA Nakai PA 53.6 Nakai
BS Ōi Bus Stop 57.1 Ōi
6 Ōi-Matsuda IC   National Route 246
  National Route 255
Pref. Route 78 (Gotenba Ōi Route)
57.9
BS Matsuda Bus Stop 60.2 Matsuda
BS Yamakita Bus Stop 63.6 Yamakita
TN Azumayama Tunnel
TN Shintsuburano Tunnel (Komaki-bound)
Tsuburano Tunnel (Tokyo-bound)
TN Torideyama Tunnel Tokyo-bound only
TN Tarogao Tunnel
TN Kitahata Tunnel
PA Ayuzawa PA 71.9(↓)
72.5(↑)
Komaki-bound: Accessible only to Left Route
TN Sakuradaira Tunnel Tokyo-bound only Oyama Shizuoka
TN Takao Tunnel
BS Oyama Bus Stop 75.5 Komaki-bound: Accessible only to Left Route
TN Shoryo Tunnel Tokyo-bound only
TN Shirahata Tunnel
BR Tomei Ashigara Bridge
BS Ashigara Bus Stop 79.2
SA
(6-1)
Ashigara SA/
SIC
80.9
Gotemba
7 Gotemba IC (No.2)   National Route 138 (Gotemba Bypass) 83.7 Komaki-bound exit, Tokyo-bound entrance only
Gotemba IC (No.1)/
Gotemba Bus Stop
Pref. Route 401 (Gotemba Hakone Route)
7-1 Gotemba JCT   Shin-Tōmei Expressway 88.3 Tokyo-bound only
PA
(7-2)
Komakado PA/
SIC
89.9(↓)
90.0(↑)
X Bus Stop closed
7-3 Susono IC   National Route 246
Pref. Route 82 (Susono Inter Route)
93.8 Susono
BS Susono Bus Stop 95.5
8 Numazu IC Pref. Route 83 (Numazu Inter Route)
   Izu-Jūkan Expressway
103.3 Numazu
PA
(8-1)
Ashitaka PA/
SIC
105.9
BS Hara Bus Stop X Closed
BS Nakazato Bus Stop 115.7 Fuji
9 Fuji IC    Nishi-Fuji Road
  National Route 139
Pref. Route 353 (Tagonourakō Fuji Inter Route)
  Shin-Tōmei Expressway
121.5
BS Matsuoka Bus Stop 125.0
SA
(9-1)
Fujikawa SA/
SIC
Pref. Route 10 (Fujikawa Minobu Route) 127.5
TN Kambara Tunnel Length - 714 m Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka
BS Kambara Bus Stop 133.1
PA Yui PA 138.6(↓)
139.7(↑)
TN Satta Tunnel
BS Okitsu Bus Stop 142.5
TN Okitsu Tunnel
TN Seikenji Tunnel
TN Sodeshi Tunnel
9-2 Shimizu JCT   Shin-Tōmei Expressway 146.4
10 Shimizu IC   National Route 1 (Seishin Bypass) 147.8
PA Nihondaira PA 155.8 Suruga-ku, Shizuoka
10-1 Nihondaira-Kunōzan SIC 158.8
11 Shizuoka IC Pref. Route 84 (Nakajima Minamiabe Route) 161.8
TN Nihonzaka Tunnel Tokyo-bound Left Route - 2,378 m
Tokyo-bound Right Route - 2,371 m
Komaki-bound - 2,555 m
Yaizu
PA Nihonzaka PA 171.5(↓)
171.6(↑)
12 Yaizu IC Pref. Route 81 (Yaizu Mori Route) 173.6
BS Yaizu-nishi Bus Stop 176.1
12-1 Ōigawa-Yaizu-Fujieda SIC 181.0
BS Ōigawa Bus Stop 181.0
13 Yoshida IC Pref. Route 34 (Shimada Yoshida Route) 185.6 Yoshida
SA Makinohara SA/
Bus Stop
194.5 Makinohara
13-1 Sagara-Makinohara IC   National Route 473 197.0
14 Kikugawa IC Pref. Route 79 (Yoshida Daitō Route) 201.8 Kikugawa
14-1 Kakegawa IC 207.8 Kakegawa
PA Ogasa PA 209.7
BS Okatsu Bus Stop 212.9
15 Fukuroi IC Pref. Route 61 (Hamakita Fukuroi Route) 219.4 Fukuroi
15-1 Iwata IC Pref. Route 86 (Iwata Inter Route)
Pref. Route 283 (Yokokawa Iwata Route)
223.3 Former site of Iwatahara PA Iwata
PA
(15-2)
Enshū-Toyoda PA/
SIC
225.2
BS Iwata Bus Stop 226.2
16 Hamamatsu IC Pref. Route 65 (Hamamatsu Kanjō Route) 230.0 Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu
BS Hamamatsu-kita Bus Stop 233.5
PA
(16-1)
Mikatagahara PA/
SIC
234.9
16-2 Hamamatsu-nishi IC Pref. Route 65 (Hamamatsu Kanjō Route) 240.5 Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu
16-3 Kanzanji SIC Pref. Route 320 (Inasa Kanzanji Route)
Pref. Route 368 (Kotō kanzanji Route)
244.7
BS Kanzanji Bus Stop 244.7
BR Hamanako Bridge Length - 603 m
Kita-ku, Hamamatsu
SA Hamanako SA 247.9
17 Mikkabi IC Pref. Route 85 (Mikkabi Inter Route)
Pref. Route 308 (Hōrai Mikkabi Route)
251.1
TN Mikkabi Tunnel
BS Mikkabi Bus Stop 255.0
17-1 Mikkabi JCT   Shin-Tōmei Expressway 255.8
TN Uri Tunnel
Shinshiro Aichi
PA Shinshiro PA 261.1
BS Toyohashi-kita Bus Stop 262.3 Toyohashi
PA Toyohashi PA
18 Toyokawa IC   National Route 151 269.0 Toyokawa
PA Akatsuka PA 274.0
BS Otowa Bus Stop 279.1
18-1 Otowa-Gamagōri IC   National Route 1
Otowa-Gamagōri Toll Road
280.2
BS Motojuku Bus Stop 285.4 Okazaki
PA Miai PA 289.7
19 Okazaki IC   National Route 1
Pref. Route 26 (Okazaki Kanjō Route)
293.4
- Okazaki-Achiwa SIC Planned
BS Iwazu Bus Stop 301.5
19-2 Toyota JCT   Isewangan Expressway 304.1 Toyota
SA
(19-3)
Toyota-Kamigō SA/
SIC
Pref. Route 76 (Toyota Anjō Route) 305.8
20 Toyota IC   National Route 155 (Toyota-minami Bypass)
Pref. Route 76 (Toyota Anjō Route)
310.8
20-1 Tōmei-Miyoshi IC/
Miyoshi Bus Stop
Pref. Route 54 (Toyota Chiryū Route) 315.8 Miyoshi
PA Tōgō PA 318.1 Nisshin
BS Nisshin Bus Stop 319.3
20-2 Nisshin JCT   Nagoya-Seto Road 322.3
21 Nagoya IC   Mei-Nikan Expressway
Pref. Route 60 (Nagoya Nagakute Route)
325.5 Meitō-ku, Nagoya
BS Asahi Bus Stop 329.5 X Closed Owariasahi
PA
(21-1)
Moriyama PA/
SIC
333.7 Moriyama-ku, Nagoya
22 Kasugai IC   National Route 19 337.7 X Bus Stop closed Kasugai
23 Komaki JCT   Chūō Expressway 339.9 Komaki
24 Komaki IC   Nagoya Expressway Komaki Route (via Komaki-kita Interchange)
  National Route 41
346.8
Through to   Meishin Expressway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Lanes edit

 
Tōmei Expressway in Atsugi
 
The landscape at evening near Yui parking area. From right to left: Suruga Bay, Tōmei Expressway, National Route 1, Tōkaidō Main Line
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 edit

References edit

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Japan Civil Engineering Contractors' Association. "Construction History of Japan". Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  3. ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "Road Timetable". Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  4. ^ "Japan's Expressway Numbering System". www.mlit.go.jp. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b "C-NEXCO Business Outline" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-05-20.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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 edit

35°35′40″N 139°34′24″E / 35.594315°N 139.573410°E / 35.594315; 139.573410