Chūō Expressway Explained

Country:JPN
Type:Expressway
Route:Chūō
Alternate Name:中央自動車道
Map Custom:yes
Length Km:366.8
Length Notes:Main Route - 344.9 km[1]
Kawaguchiko Route - 21.9 km[2]
Established:1967[3]
Terminus A:Takaido Interchange in Suginami, Tokyo
Shuto Expressway Shinjuku Route
Tokyo Metropolitan Route 14
Cities:Hachiōji, Sagamihara, Ōtsuki, Kōfu, Suwa, Okaya, Iida, Nakatsugawa, Tajimi, Kasugai
Terminus B:Komaki Junction in Komaki, Aichi

Kawaguchiko Interchange in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi

The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by NEXCO Central.

Naming

Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route (from Takaido Interchange to Komaki Junction), the Chūō Expressway Nagano Route (from Takaido Interchange to Okaya Junction), and the Chūō Expressway Fujiyoshida Route (from Takaido Interchange through Ōtsuki Junction to Kawaguchiko Interchange, this section being a branch of the main route).[4] These designations do not appear on any signage as all sections are signed simply as the Chūō Expressway.

Overview

The Chūō Expressway is a major roadway connecting the greater Tokyo and Nagoya urban areas, a role also shared by the Tōmei Expressway. While the Tōmei Expressway follows a coastal route, the Chūō Expressway follows an inland route through the mountainous regions of Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Gifu Prefectures, its highest point (1,015 meters above sea level) being at 157.3 km point sandwiched between the Yatsugatake Mountains and Southern Japanese Alps. In addition, a branch of the expressway in Yamanashi Prefecture known as the Kawaguchiko Route facilitates access to Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes area.

The expressway is 4 lanes for its entire length except for the section between Uenohara Interchange and Ōtuski Junction, which is 6 to 7 lanes. This section was originally 4 lanes as well, however increasing traffic volume led to the construction of a new parallel roadway for Uenohara-bound traffic, with the original 4 lanes of roadway being converted for the use of Ōtsuki-bound traffic only.

Tolls on the section from Takaido Interchange to Hachiōji Interchange are charged at a flat rate. As of October 2024, the toll on this section is 1000 yen for a regular passenger car. Tolls on all other sections of the expressway are assessed according to distance travelled in the same manner as most other national expressways.[5] Also, tolls on the section from Sonohara Interchange to Nakatsugawa Interchange are assessed at 1.6 times the normal rate to account for the high cost of constructing the Enasan Tunnel. Vehicles carrying dangerous materials are forbidden from using this tunnel and must use alternate routes.

History

List of interchanges and features

Main Route

No.NameConnectionsDist. from
Origin		Bus StopNotesSpeed LimitLocation
Through to Shuto Expressway Shinjuku Route
1Takaido ICMet. Route 14 (Shinjuku Kunitachi Route) (Tōhachi Road)0.0Tokyo-bound exit only60 km/hSuginamiTokyo
<2>Chūō JCTPlannedMitaka
BSMitaka Bus Stop4.0○
TBMitaka Toll Gate4.0Komaki-bound only
80 km/h
BSJindaiji Bus Stop6.0○Chōfu
3Chōfu IC7.7
3-1Inagi ICMet. Route 9 (Kawasaki Fuchū Route)10.0Komaki-bound exit, Takaido-bound entrance onlyFuchū
100 km/h
BSFuchū Bus Stop/
SIC		Met. Route 9 (Kawasaki Fuchū Route)11.5○SIC: Takaido-bound exit, Komaki-bound entrance only
4Kunitachi-Fuchū IC17.0Kunitachi
BSHino Bus Stop20.0○Hino
PAIshikawa PA23.3
23.5		Takaido-bound
Komaki-bound		Hachiōji
5-1Hachiōji No.1 Exit25.8Komaki-bound only
5-2Hachiōji No.2 ExitKomaki-bound only
5
TB
5		Hachiōji IC
Hachiōji Toll Gate
Hachiōji Exit		Exit is Takaido-bound only
BSMotohachiōji Bus Stop31.0○80 km/h
style="background-color:#BFB;"-Motohachiōji ICMet. Route 61 (Yamada Miyanomae Route)33.2open in 2021
6Hachiōji JCT36.0
7Sagamiko Higashi Exit42.4Komaki-bound onlySagamiharaKanagawa
BSSagamiko Bus Stop42.9○
8Sagamiko IC45.4
PAFujino PA46.5
9Uenohara ICPref. Route 35 (Yokkaichiba Uenohara Route)50.3○UenoharaYamanashi
SADangōzaka SA/
Nodajiri Bus Stop		55.6Komaki-bound
57.7○Takaido-bound
BSSaruhashi Bus Stop65.1○Ōtsuki
10Ōtsuki IC70.4
11Ōtsuki JCT71.4
BSMagi Bus Stop72.8○
PAHatsukari PA74.8
BSSasago Bus Stop78.7○
70 km/h
BSKai-Yamato Bus Stop86.4○Kōshū
12Katsunuma IC90.5
80 km/h
PAShakadō PA92.8○
Fuefuki
BSKai-Ichinomiya Bus Stop95.2○
13Ichinomiya-Misaka IC96.6
BSMisaka Bus Stop98.7○
13-1Fuefuki-Yatsushiro SIC/
Yatsushiro Bus Stop		Pref. Route 22 (Kōfu Fuefuki Route)
Pref. Route 313 (Fujinuta Isawa Route)		100.6○
PASakaigawa PA104.2
104.5		○Takaido-bound
Komaki-bound
14Kōfu-minami IC106.2○Kōfu
style="background-color:#BFB;"-Kōfu Chūō SIC108.5open in 2019
BSShōwa Bus Stop112.3○Shōwa
15Kōfu-Shōwa IC113.8
15-1Futaba SA/
SIC/
Futaba-higashi Bus Stop		Pref. Route 6 (Kōfu Nirasaki Route)
Pref. Route 25 (Kai Chūō Route)		118.5○SIC: Komaki-bound exit, Takaido-bound entrance onlyKai
15-2Futaba JCT120.4
style="background-color:#BFB;"-Kai IC/
JCT		 (planned)
Pref. Route 616 (Shimokamijō Miyakubo Emidō Route)		Planned
16Nirasaki ICPref. Route 27 (Nirasaki Shōsenkyō Route)125.0Nirasaki
BSAkeno Bus Stop129.5○Hokuto
17Sutama IC132.0
70 km/h
BSNagasaka-Takane Bus Stop140.1○
17-1Nagasaka ICPref. Route 32 (Nagasaka Takane Route)140.7
80 km/h
style="background-color:#BFB;"-Nagasaka JCT (Planned)Planned
PAYatsugatake PA143.1○
18Kobuchisawa ICPref. Route 11 (Hokuto Fujimi Route)148.9FujimiNagano
BSFujimi Bus Stop157.7○
19Suwa-minami ICPref. Route 425 (Haraizawa Fujimi Route)
Pref. Route 90 (Suwa-minami Inter Route)		161.5
PAChūōdō-Hara PA163.8○Komaki-boundHara
164.6Takaido-bound
BSChino Bus Stop169.9○Chino
20Suwa IC172.6Suwa
BSAruga Bus Stop177.3○
SASuwako SA178.5
Okaya
21Okaya JCT182.7From Okaya JCT to Komaki JCT the Chūō Expressway is signed "E19"
BSKawagishi Bus Stop186.0○
PATatsuno PA192.7○Tatsuno
22Ihoku IC196.7○
Minowa
BSMinowa Bus Stop200.5○
23Ina ICPref. Route 476 (Ina Inter Nishiminowa Route)
Pref. Route 87 (Ina Inter Route)		206.2○Minamiminowa
Ina
23-1Ogurogawa PA/
SIC		209.1
BSNishiharuchika Bus Stop212.2○
BSMiyada Bus Stop217.4○Miyada
24Komagane ICPref. Route 75 (Komagane Komagatake Kōen Route)221.4○Komagane
24-1Komagatake SA/
SIC		224.7
BSIijima Bus Stop228.7○Iijima
25Matsukawa ICPref. Route 15 (Iijima Iida Route)
Pref. Route 59 (Matsukawa Inter Ōshika Route)		236.7○Matsukawa
BSTakamori Bus Stop243.1○Takamori
PAZakōji PA245.3Iida
BSKamiiida Bus Stop248.9○
26Iida IC/
Igara Bus Stop		252.2○
26-1Iida-Yamamoto IC257.4
PAAchi PA/
Komaba Bus Stop		259.8○Achi
70 km/h
26-1Sonohara ICPref. Route 89 (Sonohara Inter Route)
Pref. Route 477 (Fujimidai Kōen Route)		267.0○Takaido-bound exit, Komaki-bound entrance only
TNEnasan Tunnel271.0Length - 8,649 m, dangerous goods forbidden
NakatsugawaGifu
PAMisaka PA/
Magome Bus Stop		278.9○80 km/h
27Nakatsugawa IC288.9○
SAEnakyō SA294.4Ena
28Ena ICPref. Route 68 (Ena Shirakawa Route)298.3○
PAByōbuzan PA310.2
311.4		Takaido-bound
Komaki-bound		Mizunami
BSMizunami-Tentoku Bus Stop314.8○
29Mizunami ICPref. Route 47 (Mizunami Inter Route)316.4
30Toki IC320.9○Toki
30-1Toki JCT323.4
PAKokeizan PA327.9Takaido-bound onlyTajimi
31Tajimi IC329.7○
PAUtsutsutōge PA336.2KasugaiAichi
32Komaki-higashi ICPref. Route 49 (Kasugai Inuyama Route)337.8Komaki
BSTōkadai Bus Stop343.0○
23Komaki JCT344.9

Kawaguchiko Route

No.NameConnectionsDist. from
Takaido IC		Bus StopNotesLocation
(all in Yamanashi)
11Ōtsuki JCT71.4Ōtsuki
BSOgatayama Bus Stop73.2○Tsuru
1Tsuru ICPref. Route 705 (Takahatake Yamura Teishajō Route)
Pref. Route 40 (Tsuru Inter Route)		77.6○Fujiyoshida-bound exit, Ōtsuki-bound entrance only
PAYamura PA79.4
79.7		Ōtsuki-bound
Fujiyoshida-bound
BSNishikatsura Bus Stop84.7○Nishikatsura
BSShimoyoshida Bus Stop89.8○Fujiyoshida
1-1Fujiyoshida-Nishikatsura SICPref. Route 718 (Fujiyoshida Nishikatsura Route)93.9
2Kawaguchiko IC93.9Fujiyoshida-bound exit, Ōtsuki-bound entrance onlyFujikawaguchiko
Through to

In popular culture

The Chūō Expressway features prominently in the song "Chūō Freeway" (Japanese: 中央フリーウェイ) by Yumi Matsutoya, from the 1976 studio album . The song describes the scenery along the highway in the vicinity of Fuchū, Tokyo.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Road Timetable . Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport . 2008-04-17 . https://archive.today/20040604213130/http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/kyoku/road/jikoku/station/chuou2.html . 2004-06-04 . dead .
  2. Web site: Road Timetable . Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport . 2008-04-17 . https://archive.today/20040604212733/http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/kyoku/road/jikoku/station/chuou1.html . 2004-06-04 . dead .
  3. Web site: History of Tokyo's 3 Ring Roads . Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport . 2008-04-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080402092029/http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/3kanjo/history/index.htm . 2008-04-02 .
  4. Web site: High Standard Trunk Road Map . Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport . 2008-04-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110920095900/http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ir/ir-yosan/h20/s07.pdf . 2011-09-20 .
  5. Web site: E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Route Search . 2008-04-13 .
  6. Web site: At least three dead after Japan tunnel collapse: TV. Reuters. Yahoo! Sports. 2012-12-02. 2012-12-02.

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