Nishi-Kyūshū Expressway Explained

Country:	JPN
Nishi-Kyūshū Expressway
Alternate Name:	西九州自動車道
Length Km:	150
Established:	1988
Cities:	Karatsu, Imari, Matsuura Sasebo
Terminus B:	Takeo Junction in Takeo Nagasaki Expressway

The is one of the expressways of Japan which goes from Fukuoka to Takeo running through the prefecture of Saga and the northern half of the Nagasaki prefecture. The total length is 150 km.

Part of the road is specified as Route 497. This road has two toll zones. The Fukuoka and Maebaru toll zone is managed by Fukuoka Prefectural Road Public Corporation. The Takeo and Sasebo toll zone is managed by West Nippon Expressway Company. The other roadway is managed by MLIT. This road is connected to Fukuoka Expressway Circular Route in Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, and to Nagasaki Expressway in Takeo. From Nijō to Nijō Shika Interchange this expressway overlaps a section of Nijō Hamatama road.

Overview

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1988. As of April 2016 the expressway was incomplete in many areas. The next sections were scheduled to open in 2017 (Minamihata Taniguchi Interchange to Imari Higashi Interchange) and (Imabuku Interchange to Tsukinokawa Interchange). After this, most of the incomplete areas were to be 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 were to be collected. Currently the section between Nijō Shikaka Interchange and Minamihata Taniguchi Interchange, Yamashiro Kubara Interchange and Imabuku Interchange, and Saza Interchange and Sasebo Daitō Interchange operates according to this principle.

The expressway is four lanes wide from Fukushige Junction to Higashi Intersection (temporary interchange) and Saza Interchange to Sasebo Chūō Interchange, and two lanes for all remaining sections.

History

• March 24, 1988, a section from Sasebo Daitō to Hasami Arita Interchanges was opened to traffic.
• November 30, 1989, a section from Hasami Arita to Takeo Minami Interchange was opened to traffic.
• January 26, 1990, a section from Takeo Minami Interchange to Takeo Junction was opened to traffic with another freeway.
• March 26, 1993, a section from Susenji Interchange to Higashi Intersection (temporary interchange) was opened to traffic.
• April 17, 1998, a section from Sasebo Minato to Sasebo Daitō Interchange was opened to traffic.
• September 26, 1998, a section from Jyūrokuchō to Susenji Interchanges was opened to traffic.
• October 13, 2001, a section from Fukushige Junction to Jyūrokuchō Interchange was opened to traffic with another freeway.
• November 2003, a section from Fukushige Junction to Maebaru Interchange which made with four lanes.
• December 18, 2005, a section from Hamatama to Karatsu Interchange was opened to traffic.
• December 12, 2009, a section from Nijō Shikaka to Hamatama Interchange was opened to traffic with another freeway.
• March 20, 2010, a section from Ainoura Nakazato to Sasebo Minato Interchanges was opened to traffic.
• February 26, 2011, a section from Fukushige Junction to the east was opened with other freeway.
• September 13, 2011, a section from Saza to Ainoura Nakazato Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 24, 2012, a section from Karatsu to Karatsu Chichika Yamada Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 23, 2013, a section from Karatsu Chichika Yamada to Kitahata Interchange was opened to traffic.
• February 1, 2015, a section from Kitahata to Minamihata Taniguchi Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 14, 2015, a section from Yamashiro Kubara to Imabuku Interchange was opened to traffic.
• November 5, 2017, a section from Imabuku to Tsukinokawa Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 31, 2018, a section from Minamihata Taniguchi to Imari Higashi Interchange was opened to traffic.
• December 15, 2018, a section from Tsukinokawa to Matsuura Interchange was opened to traffic.

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.

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Bus stop	Notes	Location
JCT	Fukushige JCT		0.0			Fukuoka	Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
	Jyūrokuchō IC	(Imajuku Road)	0.8		Sasebo-bound entrance
			2.0		Sasebo-bound exit
TB/PA	Fukuoka Nishi TB/PA		2.1
	Imajuku IC	(Imajuku Road)	3.5		For Fukuoka only
	Susenji IC		6.6		For Sasebo only
TB	Maebaru TB		12.1				Itoshima
	Maebaru IC		12.6		For Fukuoka only
	Higashi Intersection (temporary interchange)	(Imajuku Road) Pref. Route 573 (Hon Kafuri Teishajō Route)	14.2
	Nijō IC	Pref. Route 49 (Onojō Nijō Route)			Planned
Planned route Through to Nijō Hamatama Road
	Nijō Shikaka IC		0.0
	Hamatama IC		3.8			Saga	Karatsu
	Karatsu IC	Pref. Route 40 (Hamatama Ōchi Route) Pref. Route 258 (Handa Onizuka Route) Saga Karatsu Road (planned)	10.4
	Karatsu Chichika Yamada IC	Pref. Route 320 (Chichika Kōda Route)	14.9
	Kitahata IC	Pref. Route 50 (Karatsu Kitahata Route)	18.4
	Minamihata Taniguchi IC	Pref. Route 297 (Shioya Omagari Route)	23.2				Imari
	Imari Hagashi IC		28.5
Planned route
	Imari Naka IC				Planned
	Imari Nishi IC				Planned
	Kusuku IC	Pref. Route 5 (Imari Matsuura Route)			Planned
	Yamashiro Kubara IC		0.0
	Imabuku IC		5.5			Nagasaki	Matsuura
	Tsukinokawa IC		8.1		For Fukuoka only
	Matsuura IC	(Matsuura Bypass)	10.3
Planned route
	Hirado Mikuriya Emukae IC				Planned	Nagasaki	Sasebo
	Emukae Shikamachi IC				Planned
8	Saza IC		38.9				Saza
7	Ainoura Nakazato IC	Pref. Route 11 (Sasebo Hino Matsuura Route)	34.9				Sasebo
6	Sasebo Chūō IC	Pref. Route 11 (Sasebo Hino Matsuura Route)	29.9
5	Sasebo Minato IC	Pref. Route 11 (Sasebo Hino Matsuura Route) Pref. Route 26 (Sasebo Port Route)	27.0		For Takeo only
4	Sasebo Daitō IC/TB	(Hario Bypass)	22.1
3	Sasebo Mikawachi IC/TB		14.8
2	Hasami Arita IC	Pref. Route 4 (Kawatana Arita Route)	10.1	○			Hasami
1	Takeo Minami IC/TB		0.0		For Fukuoka only	Saga	Takeo
6	Takeo JCT	Nagasaki Expressway	0.7