Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline Explained

Country:JPN
Maint:Iwaki Skyline Co., Ltd of
Kōnan Bus Company
Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline
Alternate Name:
Map:Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline toll road Aerial Photograph.jpg
Length Km:9.3
Length Ref:[1]
Established:25 August 1960
Direction A:West
Terminus A:Aomori Prefecture Route 3 near
Dake Onsen in Hirosaki, Aomori
Direction B:East
Terminus B:Eighth Station of Mount Iwaki
Known For:69 hairpin turns to ascend/descend Mount Iwaki
Restrictions:Closed during winter from early November to April, weather permitting. Open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The is a toll road managed and operated by Iwaki Skyline Co., Ltd. in Hirosaki, Japan. It partially ascends Mount Iwaki and is notable for its steep gradient and 69 hairpin turns, which make it considered as one of the most dangerous mountain roads in the world.

Route description

The Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline is a toll road in the outskirts of the city of Hirosaki which partially ascends Mount Iwaki and is notable for its steep gradient and 69 hairpin turns. The road ascends 806m (2,644feet) over an average gradient of 8.66%, with some sections going up to a 10% gradient. The road terminates at the eighth station on Mount Iwaki, a stratovolcano, at which point a chairlift is available from the eighth station to the ninth station. The Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline has been considered one of the most dangerous mountain roads in the world.[2] Both the road and the chairlift are managed and operated by Iwaki Skyline Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Kōnan Bus Company.

Tolls

The prices listed are for a round trip up and down the road, as of 2017:[3]

¥1500

History

Construction on the Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline began in April 1958. When the road opened on 25 August 1960 as part of the Kōnan Bus Expressway Division it was the first toll road in Aomori Prefecture. In 1972 a one-way chairlift was added, starting from the eighth station, where the road ends, up to the 9th station. In 1993 the chairlift was upgraded to allow for two-way travel. In April 1999, the company operating Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline and the chairlift changed its name to "Iwaki Skyline Co., Ltd."[5]

Major intersections

The route lies entirely within Aomori Prefecture.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 津軽岩木スカイラインとは │ 津軽岩木スカイライン. Iwaki-skyline.jp. 2 January 2018.
  2. Web site: Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline. Dangerousroads.org. 2 January 2018.
  3. Web site: 営業案内 │ 津軽岩木スカイライン. Iwaki-skyline.jp. 2 January 2018.
  4. Web site: CHALLENGE HILL CLIMB Mt. IWAKI. Iwakisan 69. ja. 14 April 2021. 27 May 2021.
  5. Web site: 津軽岩木スカイラインとは │ 津軽岩木スカイライン. Iwaki-skyline.jp. 2 January 2018.