Dō-Ō Expressway Explained

Country:	JPN
Type:	Expressway
Route:	Hokkaido
Alternate Name:	Japanese: 道央自動車道, Japanese: 道央道
Map Custom:	yes
Length Km:	413.6
Length Round:	1
Established:	1971^[1]
Terminus A:	Ōnuma Kōen Interchange in Mori, Hokkaido Hokkaido Route 149
Cities:	Muroran, Tomakomai, Chitose, Sapporo, Fukagawa, Asahikawa
Terminus B:	Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Interchange in Kenbuchi, Hokkaido National Route 40

The is a national expressway in Hokkaido, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Naming

The road is named the Dō-Ō Expressway ("Central Hokkaidō Expressway") in Japanese; however, it's also known as the Hokkaido Expressway.

Officially the expressway is designated as the of the .^[2] The name distinguishes it from the, the .

Route description

The expressway connects the north of Hokkaido with the south via the city of Sapporo. Extension of the expressway in the north towards the city of Wakkanai and in the south towards the city of Hakodate is underway; although the Hokkaido Expressway itself is not planned to extend as far as these two cities, various expressway-standard roads (bypasses of National Route 40 to the north and National Route 5 to the south) will cover the remaining distances.

Some unfinished sections of the expressway (Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Interchange to Nayoro Interchange in the north and Ōnuma Interchange to Nanae Interchange in the south) will be constructed according to the New Direct Control System.^[3] These sections are expected to operate toll-free upon completion.

The section from Sapporo-minami Interchange through Sapporo Junction to Sapporo-nishi Interchange on the Sasson Expressway is built to an urban expressway standard and the tolls are charged at a flat rate. As of March 2008 the toll on this section is 400 yen for regular passenger cars. Tolls on all other sections of the expressway are assessed according to distance travelled in the same manner as most other national expressways.^[4]

History

4 December 1971 - Kitahiroshima Interchange - Chitose Interchange section opened.
19 September 1972 - Kitahiroshima Interchange - Chitose Interchange section expanded to 4 lanes.
24 October 1978 - Chitose Interchange - Tomakomai-higashi Interchange section opened.
29 October 1979 - Sapporo-minami Interchange - Kitahiroshima Interchange section opened.
29 October 1980 - Tomakomai-higashi Interchange - Tomakomai-nishi Interchange section opened.
9 November 1983 - Sapporo Interchange - Iwamizawa Interchange section opened.
30 November 1983 - Tomakomai-nishi Interchange - Shiraoi Interchange section opened.
18 October 1985 - Shiraoi Interchange - Noboribetsu-higashi Interchange section opened.
25 October 1985 - Sapporo Interchange - Sapporo-minami Interchange section opened.
9 October 1986 - Noboribetsu-higashi Interchange - Noboribetsu Muroran Interchange section opened.
18 September 1987 - Iwamizawa Interchange - Bibai Interchange section opened. Mikasa and Bibai Interchanges become the first in Japan to implement automated ticket dispensers at toll gates.
8 October 1988 - Bibai Interchange - Takikawa Interchange section opened.
12 September 1989 - Takikawa Interchange - Fukagawa Interchange section opened.
30 October 1990 - Fukagawa Interchange - Asahikawa Takasu Interchange section opened (originally 2 lanes, expansion to 4 lanes completed in 2004).
26 April 1991 - Highway Oasis opened at Sunagawa Service Area (at that time the second in Japan in first in Hokkaido).
25 October 1991 - Noboribetsu Muroran Interchange - Muroran Interchange section opened.
30 September 1992 - Sapporo Junction is opened, connecting with the Sasson Expressway.
27 October 1992 - Muroran Interchange - Date Interchange section opened.
30 March 1994 - Date Interchange - Abuta Tōyako Interchange section opened.
22 October 1997 - Abuta Tōyako Interchange - Oshamanbe Interchange section opened.
23 March 1998 - Connection with the Hidaka Expressway is completed at Tomakomai-higashi Interchange.
11 April 1998 - Fukagawa Junction is opened, connecting with the Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway.
7 October 1999 - Chitose-Eniwa Junction is opened, connecting with the Dōtō Expressway.
November 1999 - Chitose-bound exit opened at Sapporo-minami Interchange.
29 March 29, 2000 - Date Interchange - Toyoura Interchange section closed due to risk of eruption from nearby Mount Usu.
13 July 2000 - Temporary Abuta Tōyako Interchange opened, allowing access to Toyoura Interchange.
4 October 2000 - Asahikawa Takasu Interchange - Wassamu Interchange section opened.
9 February 2001 - Date Interchange - Toyoura Interchange section reopened.
30 June 2001 - Temporary Abuta Tōyako Interchange closed due to full reopening of expressway.
10 September 2001 - Asahikawa-bound entrance opened at Sapporo-minami Interchange.
17 October 2001 - Fukagawa Interchange - Otoe Parking Area section expanded to 4 lanes.
19 November 2001 - Oshamanbe Interchange - Kunnui Interchange section opened.
30 September 2003 - Otoe Parking Area - Asahikawa Takasu Interchange section expanded to 4 lanes.
4 October 2003 - Wassamu Interchange - Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Interchange section opened.
27 March 2004 - Pippu Junction is opened, connecting with the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway.
18 November 2006 - Kunnui Interchange - Yakumo Interchange section opened.
21 December 2007 - Abuta Tōyako Interchange is moved to a new location to meet the rebuilt National Route 230.
10 October 2009 - Yakumo Interchange - Otoshibe Interchange section opened.
26 November 2011 - Otoshibe Interchange - Mori Interchange section opened.
10 November 2012 - Mori Interchange - Ōnuma Kōen Interchange section opened.
3 August 2013 - New Chitose Airport Interchange opened.
13 December 2020 - Tomakomai-chūō Interchange opened.

List of interchanges and features

IC - interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, SIC - smart interchange, TB - toll gate

Southern route (Sapporo JCT - Nanae IC)

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Sapporo Junction	Bus stop	Notes	Location (all in Hokkaido)
32	Sapporo Junction	Northern Route Sasson Expressway	0.0			Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo
31	Kitagō Interchange	National Route 274 (Sapporo Shindō)	1.6		Asahikawa-bound exit, Tomakomai-bound entrance only
30	Ōyachi Interchange	National Route 274 (Sapporo Shindō)	3.6		Tomakomai-bound exit, Asahikawa-bound entrance only
29 TB	Sapporo-minami Interchange	Sapporo Shindō	7.4			Kiyota-ku, Sapporo
28	Kitahiroshima Interchange	National Route 36	11.9			Kitahiroshima
27 PA SIC	Wattsu Parking Area	City Route (Hiroshima Wattsu Route)	16.0	O		Kitahiroshima
BS	Kita-Eniwa Bus Stop				Paused	Eniwa
26	Eniwa Interchange	Pref. Route 117 (Eniwadake Kōen Route)	25.8	O		Eniwa
25	Chitose-Eniwa Junction	Dōtō Expressway	29.8			Chitose
24	Chitose Interchange	Pref. Route 77 (Chitose Inter Route)	34.8
23	New Chitose Airport Interchange	Pref. Route 1175 (New Chitose Airport Inter Route)	38.8
PA	Misawa Parking Area		41.4			Tomakomai
22	Tomakomai-higashi Interchange/ Tomakomai-higashi Junction	Hidaka Expressway Pref. Route 91 (Tomakomai-higashi Inter Route)	46.7
BS	Takaoka Bus Stop				Abolished
21	Tomakomai-chūō Interchange	Pref. Route 1179 (Tomakomai-chūō Inter Route)	56.2
20	Tomakomai-nishi Interchange	Pref. Route 141 (Tarumae Nishikioka Route)	64.3		"style="text-align: center;"
SA	Tarumae Service Area		67.4
19	Shiraoi Interchange	Pref. Route 86 (Shiraoi Ōtaki Route)	80.1			Shiraoi
PA	Hagino Parking Area		84.9
BS	Takeura Bus Stop		89.7	O
18	Noboribetsu-higashi Interchange	Pref. Route 2 (Tōyako Noboribetsu Route)	98.7			Noboribetsu
PA	Tomiura Parking Area		101.7
17	Noboribetsu Muroran Interchange	National Route 36 Pref. Route 144 (Noboribetsu Muroran Inter Route)	110.1
PA	Moto-Wanishi Parking Area		118.2		Hakodate-bound only	Muroran
16	Muroran Interchange	Pref. Route 107 (Muroran Kanjō Route) Pref. Route 127 (Muroran Inter Route)	119.7			Muroran
SA	Usuzan Service Area		130.2			Date
15	Date Interchange	Pref. Route 145 (Date Inter Route) Pref. Route 519 (Takinomachi Date Route)	132.6			Date
style="background-color: #BFB;"	-	Higashiusu Emergency Exit				Authorized vehicles only	Tōyako
style="background-color: #BFB;"	-	Kitausu Emergency Exit				Authorized vehicles only
14	Abuta Tōyako Interchange	National Route 230	146.2
PA	Toyoura-Funkawan Parking Area		154.3		Highway Oasis	Toyoura
13	Toyoura Interchange	National Route 37	159.4			Toyoura
12	Kuromatsunai Junction		177.6			Kuromatsunai
PA	Shizukari Parking Area		187.9			Oshamanbe
11	Oshamanbe Interchange	National Route 5	193.2
10	Kunnui Interchange	National Route 230	204.3
	Kunnui Parking Area				Planned
9	Yakumo Interchange	National Route 277	226.0			Yakumo
PA	Yakumo Parking Area		234.4		Highway Oasis
8	Otoshibe Interchange	Pref. Route 1155 (Otoshibe Inter Route)	242.0
7	Mori Interchange	Pref. Route 1156 (Mori Inter Route)	262.2			Mori
	Ōnuma Kōen Toll Gate
6	Ōnuma Kōen Interchange	Pref. Route 149 (Ōnuma Kōen Inter Route) Pref. Route 843 (Shukunobe Hoyōkichi Route)	271.9
<5>	Nanae Interchange	National Route 5			Planned	Nanae
Through to Hakodate Shindō

Northern route (Sapporo JCT - Nayoro IC)

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Sapporo Junction	Bus stop	Notes	Location
32	Sapporo Junction	Sasson Expressway Southern Route	0.0			Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo
33	Sapporo Interchange	National Route 274 (Sapporo Shindō)	0.5		Asahikawa-bound entrance, Tomakomai-bound exit only	Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo
34	Ebetsu-nishi Interchange	Pref. Route 110 (Ebetsu Inter Route)	7.1			Ebetsu
PA	Nopporo Parking Area		10.3	O
35	Ebetsu-higashi Interchange	National Route 337	16.7
BS	Kurisawa Bus Stop		24.3	O		Iwamizawa
36	Iwamizawa Interchange	National Route 234	32.4
SA	Iwamizawa Service Area/ Higashiyama Bus Stop		36.1	O
37	Mikasa Interchange	Pref. Route 116 (Iwamizawa Mikasa Route)	42.3			Mikasa
38	Bibai Interchange	Pref. Route 135 (Bibai Furano Route)	53.6			Bibai
PA	Chashinai Parking Area		59.0	O		Bibai
39	Naie Sunagawa Interchange	Pref. Route 114 (Akabira Naie Route)	67.2			Naie
BS	Sunagawa Yoshino Bus Stop		71.1	O		Sunagawa
40 SA SIC	Sunagawa Service Area/ Sunagawa Ishiyama Bus Stop		76.1	O	Highway Oasis	Sunagawa
41	Takikawa Interchange	National Route 38	81.2			Takikawa
BS	Ebeotsu Bus Stop		86.6	O		Takikawa
42	Fukagawa Junction	Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway	94.0			Fukagawa
43	Fukagawa Interchange	Pref. Route 79 (Fukagawa Toyosato Route)	99.1
PA	Otoe Parking Area		104.9
BS	Osamunai Bus Stop		109.1	O
44	Asahikawa Takasu Interchange	Pref. Route 146 (Asahikawa Takasu Inter Route) Pref. Route 1125 (Arashiyama Kōen Route)	125.8			Takasu
45	Asahikawa-kita Interchange	Pref. Route 1150 (Asahikawa-kita Inter Route)	134.3			Asahikawa
PA	Pippu-Taisetsu Parking Area		141.6			Pippu
46	Pippu Junction	Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway	145.0			Pippu
47	Wassamu Interchange	National Route 40	155.6			Wassamu
	Kenbuchi Parking Area				Opens in 2020	Kenbuchi
TB	Kenbuchi Toll Gate		171.6
48	Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Interchange	Pref. Route 1161 (Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Inter Route)	171.6
<49>	Tayoro Interchange	Pref. Route 888 (Tōyō Tayoro Route)				Shibetsu
<50>	Nayoro Interchange					Nayoro
Through to Nayoro Bypass

External links

East Nippon Expressway Company

Notes and References

Web site: History of Kitahiroshima City . 15 April 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080315182654/http://www.city.kitahiroshima.hokkaido.jp/pro/city/history.html . 15 March 2008 . dead .
Web site: High Standard Trunk Road Map . Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport . 13 April 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110920095900/http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ir/ir-yosan/h20/s07.pdf . 20 September 2011 .
Web site: E-NEXCO Opening Schedule . 15 April 2008.
Web site: E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Route Search . 15 April 2008.