Higashikyushu Expressway Explained

Country:	JPN
Type:	Expressway
Route:	Higashikyushu
Alternate Name:	東九州自動車道
Map:	Higashi-kyushu Expressway map 2018.svg
Length Km:	500
Established:	1999
Terminus A:	Kitakyushu Junction in Kyushu Expressway
Cities:	Oita, Nobeoka, Miyazaki Kanoya, Kirishima
Terminus B:	Kajiki Junction in Aira Kyushu Expressway

The is one of the expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū (and the bridge to Honshū) to east of Kagoshima linking with the Kyushu Expressway. It runs north to south, through the prefectures of Fukuoka, Oita, Miyazaki and the Kagoshima prefectures. The freeway runs entirely on the island of Kyūshū. The total length is 500 km.

Overview

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1999. As of March 2009 the expressway is incomplete in many areas. The section between Soo Yagorō Interchange and Sueyoshi Takarabe Interchange opened in 2010. Most of the incomplete areas were 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 Saiki Interchange and Nobeoka Minami Interchange, and Kanoya Kushira Junction and Sueyoshi Takarabe Interchange operates according to this principle.

The expressway is 4 lanes from Kitakyushu Junction to Kanda Kitakyushu-kūkō Interchange and Hiji Junction to Ōita Miyagawachi Interchange, and 2 lanes for all remaining sections.

The route parallels the Nippō Main Line of Kyushu Railway Company and National Route 10 for much of its length.

History

December 15, 1994, a section from Hiji Junction to Hayami Interchange was opened to traffic.
November 27, 1999, a section from Oita Mera to Oita Miyagawachi Interchanges was opened to traffic.
March 4, 2000, a section from Kokubu to Hayato Higashi Interchange was opened to traffic with another freeway.
March 25, 2000, a section from Miyazaki Nishi Interchange to Kiyotake Junction was opened to traffic.
March 31, 2001, a section from Saito to Miyazaki Nishi Interchange was opened to traffic.
April 18, 2001, the Oita Nogyo Bunka Koen Interchange was opened.
December 19, 2001, the Kajiki Junction was opened to traffic with another freeway.
December 27, 2001, a section from Oita Miyagawachi to Tsukumi Interchanges was opened to traffic.
March 2, 2002, a section from Sueyoshi Takarabe to Kokubu Interchanges was opened to traffic.
March 30, 2002, the Hiji Junction was opened to traffic with another freeway.
February 26, 2006, a section from Kitakyushu Junction to Kanda Kitakyushu Airport Interchange was opened to traffic.
June 28, 2008, a section from Tsukumi to Saiki Interchange was opened to traffic.
March 14, 2010, a section from Soo Yagoro to Sueyoshi Takarabe Interchange was opened to traffic.
July 17, 2010, a section from Takanabe to Saito Interchange was opened to traffic.
December 14, 2010, a section from Kadogawa to Hyuga Interchange was opened to traffic with another freeway.
December 15, 2012, a section from Sumie to Kitagawa Interchange was opened to traffic.
December 22, 2012, a section from Tsuno to Takanabe Interchange was opened to traffic.
February 16, 2013, a section from Kamae to Kitaura Interchange was opened to traffic.
March 23, 2013, a section from Kiyotake Junction to Kiyotake Minami Interchange was opened to traffic.
March 8, 2014, a section from Kitaura to Sumie Interchange was opened to traffic.
March 16, 2014, a section from Hyuga to Tsuno Interchange was opened to traffic.
March 23, 2014, a section from Kanda Kitakyushu Airport to Yukuhashi Interchange was opened to traffic.
December 13, 2014, a section from Yukuhashi to Miyako Toyotsu Interchange was opened to traffic with another freeway.
December 13, 2014, the Shiida Minami Interchange was opened.
December 21, 2014, a section from Kanoya Kushira Junction to Soo Yagoro Interchange was opened to traffic.
December 21, 2014, the Kanoya Kushira Junction was opened to traffic with another freeway.
March 1, 2015, a section from Buzen to Usa Interchanges was opened to traffic with another freeway.
March 21, 2015, a section from Saiki to Kamae Interchanges was opened to traffic.
April 28, 2015, the Imagawa Parking Area and the Yukuhashi Imagawa Bus Stop was opened.
April 24, 2016, a section from Shiida Minami to Buzen Interchange was opened to traffic which made the Higashikyushu Expressway from Kitakyushu to Miyazaki fully accessible with no gaps.
March 25, 2017, the Kadogawa Minami Smart Interchange was opened.
March 11, 2018, a section from Nishinan Kitago to Nichinan Togo Interchanges was opened to traffic.
August 5, 2018, a section from Hiji Junction to Oita Mera Interchange is incorporated as part of the Higashikyushu Expressway.
August 5, 2018, the Beppuwan Smart Interchange was fully accessible.
October 6, 2019, the Kunitomi Smart Interchange was opened.

Interchanges

IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, TN - tunnel, BR - bridge, TB - toll gate
Bus stops labeled "○" are currently in use; those marked "◆" are closed.

Between Kitakyushu Junction and Aburatsu Interchange

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Bus stop	Notes	Location
(2-1)	Kitakyushu JCT		0.0			Fukuoka	Kokuraminami-ku, Kitakyūshū
1	Kanda Kitakyushu Airport IC	Pref. Route 245 (Kitakyushu Airport Route)	8.2				Kanda
2	Yukuhashi IC		16.8				Yukuhashi
PA/SIC	Imagawa PA/SIC	Pref. Route 34 (Yukuhashi Soeda Route) via Yukuhashi city road	19.1	○			Yukuhashi
3	Miyako Toyotsu IC	(Shiida Road)	24.2				Miyako
4	Tsuiki IC	Pref. Route 237 (Sawada Shimobefu Route)	26.4				Chikujō
style="background-color:#BFB;"	-	Shiida TB	style="text-align:center;"	-	27.1			Abandoned on December 13, 2014
5	Shiida IC	Pref. Route 231 (Kurohira Shiida Route)	31.5
6	Shiida Minami IC	(Shiida Road)	33.1		For Kitakyushu only
7	Buzen IC	Pref. Route 32 (Saigawa Buzen Route)	40.3				Buzen
PA/SIC	Kōge PA/SIC	(Buzen Bypass, Nakatsu Bypass) via Kōge town road	45.5				Kōge
8	Nakatsu IC	Nakatsu Hita Road	52.5			Oita	Nakatsu
9	Usa IC	(Usa Road, Usa Beppu Road)	61.4				Usa
9-1	Innai IC/TB		66.0		For Oita only TB: Abandoned on September 16, 2014
9-2	Ajimu IC	Pref. Route 42 (Yamaga Innai Route)	71.2	○
9-3	Oita Nōgyō Bunka Kōen IC	Pref. Route 42 (Yamaga Innai Route)	77.5
9-4	Hayami IC	(Usa Beppu Road, Hiji Bypass) Pref. Route 24 (Hiji Yamaga Route)	83.8				Hiji
10	Hiji JCT		87.1				Hiji
SA/SIC	Beppuwan SA/SIC	via Beppu city road Pref. Route 218 (Beppu Yamaga Route)	89.5	○			Beppu
11	Beppu IC	Pref. Route 11 (Beppu Ichinomiya Route)	94.3	◆			Beppu
BS	Hasama BS		103.7	◆			Yufu
12	Oita IC	Pref. Route 21 (Oita Usuki Route)	109.1				Oita
13	Oita Mitsuyoshi IC	(Kinoue Bypass)	113.5
14	Oita Mera IC	(Oita-Minami Bypass) Pref. Route 56 (Nakahanda Shimogori Route)	116.9
PA	Oita Matsuoka PA		119.8
15	Oita Miyagawachi IC	(Oita-Higashi Bypass)	123.1
16	Usuki IC		137.1				Usuki
17	Tsukumi IC	Pref. Route 648 (Tsukumi Interchange Route)	144.1				Tsukumi
PA	Yayoi PA				Scheduled to be opened in 2021		Saiki
TB	Saiki TB				Toll Barrier
18	Saiki IC	Pref. Route 36 (Saiki Tsukumi Route)	157.1
18-1	Saiki Katata IC	Pref. Route 603 (Akagi Fukihara Saiki Route)	162.2
19	Kamae IC		177.5
19-1	Kamae Hatōzu IC	Pref. Route 122 (Furue Maruichibi Route)	186.3
20	Kitaura IC		191.7			Miyazaki	Nobeoka
20-1	Sumie IC	Pref. Route 243 (Sumie Interchange Route)	198.1		For Nobeoka only
21	Kitagawa IC	(Nobeoka Road)	203.7
22	Nobeoka JCT/IC	Kyushu Chūō Expressway Pref. Route 241 (Nobeoka Interchange Route)	216.5	○
23	Nobeoka Minami IC	(Totoro Bypass, Nobeoka Road, Nobeoka-Minami Road)	223.5
TB	Kadogawa TB		227.9		Toll Barrier		Kadogawa
24	Kadogawa IC	(Nobeoka-Minami Road) Pref. Route 226 (Totoro Hyūga Route)	228.0		For Nobeoka only
BS	Kadogawa BS			○
SIC	Kadogawa Minami SIC	(Nobeoka-Minami Road) Pref. Route 226 (Totoro Hyūga Route) via Kadogawa town road	229.6		For Miyazaki only
25	Hyūga IC	(Hyūga Bypass)	241.9	○			Hyūga
26	Tsuno IC	Pref. Route 303 (Tsuno Interchange Route)	261.9				Tsuno
PA	Kawaminami PA		268.9				Kawaminami
27	Takanabe IC	Pref. Route 308 (Takanabe Interchange Route)	274.8				Takanabe
28	Saito IC	Pref. Route 321 (Saito Interchange Route)	286.9	○			Saito
BS	Kunitomi BS		297.9	○			Kunitomi
SIC	Kunitomi SIC	Pref. Route 26 (Miyazaki Suki Route)	298.5				Kunitomi
BS	Miyazaki BS		302.6	○			Miyazaki
29	Miyazaki Nishi IC	(Miyazaki-Nishi Bypass)	303.7
PA	Miyazaki PA		306.7
30	Kiyotake IC	Pref. Route 371 (Kiyotake Interchange Route)	311.6
(4-1)	Kiyotake JCT	Miyazaki Expressway	313.8
TB	Kiyotake Minami TB				Toll Barrier
30-1	Kiyotake Minami IC	Pref. Route 378 (Kiyotake Minami Interchange Route)	315.0
Under Construction
31	Nichinan Kitagō IC	Pref. Route 28 (Nichinan Takaoka Route) Pref. Route 429 (Inohae Route)	332.8				Nichinan
32	Nichinan Togō IC	(Nichinan Shibushi Road) Pref. Route 434 (Kazeda Hoshikura Route)	341.8
	Aburatsu IC		345.0		Planned
Planned route

Between Shibushi Interchange and Kajiki Junction

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Dist. from Terminus	Notes	Location
Planned route
	Natsui IC		0.0	85.5	Planned	Kagoshima	Shibushi
35	Shibushi IC	(Nichinan Shibushi Road) Miyakonojō Shibushi Road (planned) Pref. Route 63 (Shibushi Fukuyama Route)	3.7	81.8
35-1	Shibushi Ariake IC		7.1	78.4
36	Ōsaki IC	Pref. Route 64 (Ōsaki Kihoku Route)	13.4	72.1			Ōsaki
37	Kanoya Kushira JCT	Ōsumi Jūkan Road Pref. Route 552 (Kanoya Kushira Interchange Route)	22.9	62.6			Kanoya
37-1	Nogata IC	Pref. Route 64 (Ōsaki Kihoku Route)	29.4	56.1			Ōsaki
38	Soo Yagorō JCT	Pref. Route 71 (Tarumizu Minaminogō Route)	40.6	44.9			Soo
39	Sueyoshi Takarabe IC		51.7	33.8
	Sueyoshi Takarabe TB		51.7	33.8	Toll Barrier
PA	Kokubu PA		68.4	17.1			Kirishima
40	Kokubu IC		74.2	11.3
41	Hayato Higashi IC	(Hayato Road) Pref. Route 58 (Hayato Port Route)	79.0	6.5
42	Hayato Nishi IC	Pref. Route 471 (Kita-Naganoda Obama Route)	82.6	2.9
(25)	Kajiki IC	(Kajiki Bypass) Pref. Route 55 (Kurino Kajiki Route)	85.1	0.4			Aira
(25-1)	Kajiki JCT	Kyushu Expressway (Hayato Road)	85.5	0.0			Aira