Higashi-Kantō Expressway Explained

Country:JPN
Type:Expressway
Route:Higashi-Kantō
Map Custom:yes
Length Km:74.5
Length Ref:[1]
Established:1971[2]
Terminus A:Kōya Junction
Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route
Tokyo Gaikan Expressway in Ichikawa, Chiba
Cities:Funabashi, Narashino, Chiba, Sakura, Narita, Katori, Itako
Terminus B:Ibaraki Junction
Kita-Kantō Expressway in Ibaraki, Ibaraki

The (lit. East Kantō Expressway) is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Overview

Officially the expressway is referred to as the Higashi-Kantō Expressway Mito Route.[3]

The expressway commences at a junction with the Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route in western Chiba Prefecture and follows an easterly course which parallels Tokyo Bay. Just before Miyanogi Junction where the expressway meets the Keiyō Road, the route branches away from the bay and heads inland in a northeasterly direction. It continues through Chiba Prefecture, though the city of Narita, and crossing the Tone River into Ibaraki Prefecture where the expressway reaches its current terminus in Itako.

The expressway is an important route linking the greater Tokyo area with Narita International Airport. At Narita Junction travellers must switch to the Shin-Kūkō Expressway to travel the remaining distance to the airport proper.

Currently the expressway extends from Wangan-Ichikawa Interchange to Itako Interchange, however plans are underway to extend the expressway to a junction with the Kita-Kantō Expressway near Mito, Ibaraki.[4]

The expressway is 6 lanes from the origin to Narita Junction, and the remainder is 4 lanes. The speed limit is from the origin to Chiba-kita Interchange, from Yotsukaidō Interchange to Narita Interchange, and other sections are .[5]

List of interchanges and features

No.NameConnectionsDist. from
Origin
Dist. from
Terminus
NotesLocation
Through to Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route
Ichikawa JCT0km (00miles)123km (76miles)IchikawaChiba
1Kōya JCT Tokyo Gaikan Expressway0.0123.0Opens in 2018IchikawaChiba-->
2Wangan-Ichikawa IC National Route 3571km (01miles)122km (76miles)Ichikawa-bound exit, Itako-bound entrance only
2-1Yatsu-Funabashi IC National Route 357
Pref. Route 15 (Chiba Funabashi-Kaihin Route)
5.5km (03.4miles)117.5km (73miles)Itako-bound exit, Ichikawa-bound entrance onlyFunabashi
3Wangan-Narashino IC National Route 3577.9km (04.9miles)115.1km (71.5miles)Itako-bound exit, Ichikawa-bound entrance onlyNarashino
TBNarashino Toll Gate
PAWangan-Makuhari PA8.7km (05.4miles)114.3km (71miles)Mihama-ku, Chiba
4Wangan-Chiba IC National Route 35711.6km (07.2miles)111.4km (69.2miles)Ichikawa-bound exit, Itako-bound entrance only
5Miyanogi JCT Keiyō Road16.7km (10.4miles)106.3km (66.1miles)No access:
Keiyō southbound → Higashi-Kantō westbound
Higashi-Kantō eastbound → Keiyō northbound
Inage-ku, Chiba
6Chiba-kita IC National Route 1618.8km (11.7miles)104.2km (64.7miles)
7Yotsukaidō ICPref. Route 64 (Chiba Usui Inzai Route)24.6km (15.3miles)98.4km (61.1miles)Yotsukaidō
8Sakura IC National Route 5130km (20miles)93km (58miles)Sakura
PAShisui PA35.1km (21.8miles)87.9km (54.6miles)Shisui
<8-1>Shisui IC37km (23miles)86km (53miles)
9Tomisato IC National Route 40939.5km (24.5miles)83.5km (51.9miles)Tomisato
10Narita IC/JCT Shin-Kūkō Expressway
National Route 295 – Narita International Airport
44.9km (27.9miles)78.1km (48.5miles)Narita
<10-1>Taiei JCT Ken-Ō Expressway51.5km (32miles)71.5km (44.4miles)
PATaiei PA51.6km (32.1miles)71.4km (44.4miles)
11Taiei IC National Route 5156.6km (35.2miles)66.4km (41.3miles)
12Sawara Katori ICPref. Route 55 (Sawara Yamada Route)
Pref. Route 253 (Katori Tsunomiya Route)
65.9km (40.9miles)57.1km (35.5miles)Katori
PASawara PA68.5km (42.6miles)54.5km (33.9miles)
BRTonegawa BridgeLength - 630 m
BRHitachi-Tonegawa BridgeItakoIbaraki
13Itako ICPref. Route 50 (Mito Kamisu Route)
Pref. Route 101 (Itako Sawara Route)
74.5km (46.3miles)48.5km (30.1miles)
<14>Asō ICPref. Route 50 (Mito Kamisu Route)85.6km (53.2miles)37.4km (23.2miles)PlannedNamegata
<15>Kitaura IC National Route 35497.5km (60.6miles)23.5km (14.6miles)Planned
16Hokota ICPref. Route 18 (Ibaraki Kashima Route)105.4km (65.5miles)17.6km (10.9miles)Hokota
17Ibaraki-minami ICPref. Route 18 (Ibaraki Kashima Route)114.2km (71miles)8.8km (05.5miles)Ibaraki
15-1Ibaraki JCT Kita-Kantō Expressway123km (76miles)0km (00miles)

References

  1. Web site: E-NEXCO Expressway Data . 2008-04-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071213220411/http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/more_expressway/data/ . 2007-12-13 .
  2. Web site: Narita Nandemo Encyclopedia . Narita City Board of Education . 2008-04-15 .
  3. 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 .
  4. Web site: E-NEXCO Opening Schedule . 2008-04-15 . 2007-10-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071016044901/http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/open_schedule/kanto/ . dead .
  5. Web site: 高速自動車国道等の最高速度 . Police Net Chiba . Chiba Prefectural Police.

External links