Higashi-Kantō Expressway

The Higashi-Kantō Expressway (東関東自動車道, Higashi Kantō Jidōsha-dō) (lit. East Kantō Expressway) is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Higashi-Kantō Expressway sign
Higashi-Kantō Expressway
E51 東関東自動車道
Map
Route information
Length74.5 km[2] (46.3 mi)
Existed1971[1]–present
Major junctions
FromKōya Junction
Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route
Tokyo Gaikan Expressway in Ichikawa, Chiba
ToIbaraki Junction
E50 Kita-Kantō Expressway in Ibaraki, Ibaraki
Location
CountryJapan
Major citiesFunabashi, Narashino, Chiba, Sakura, Narita, Katori, Itako
Highway system
Higashi-Kantō Expressway over the Tone River.

Overview

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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 80 km/h (50 mph) from the origin to Chiba-kita Interchange, 110 km/h (68 mph) from Yotsukaidō Interchange to Narita Interchange, and other sections are 100 km/h (62 mph).[5]

List of interchanges and features

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No. Name Connections Dist. from
Origin
Dist. from
Terminus
Notes Location
Through to   Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route
Ichikawa JCT 0.0 km
0 mi
123.0 km
76.4 mi
Ichikawa Chiba
1 Kōya JCT   Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
2 Wangan-Ichikawa IC   National Route 357 1.0 km
0.62 mi
122.0 km
75.8 mi
Ichikawa-bound exit, Itako-bound entrance only
2-1 Yatsu-Funabashi IC   National Route 357
Pref. Route 15 (Chiba Funabashi-Kaihin Route)
5.5 km
3.4 mi
117.5 km
73.0 mi
Itako-bound exit, Ichikawa-bound entrance only Funabashi
3 Wangan-Narashino IC   National Route 357 7.9 km
4.9 mi
115.10 km
71.52 mi
Itako-bound exit, Ichikawa-bound entrance only Narashino
TB Narashino Toll Gate
PA Wangan-Makuhari PA 8.7 km
5.4 mi
114.3 km
71.0 mi
Mihama-ku, Chiba
4 Wangan-Chiba IC   National Route 357 11.6 km
7.2 mi
111.4 km
69.2 mi
Ichikawa-bound exit, Itako-bound entrance only
5 Miyanogi JCT    Keiyō Road 16.7 km
10.4 mi
106.3 km
66.1 mi
No access:
Keiyō southbound → Higashi-Kantō westbound
Higashi-Kantō eastbound → Keiyō northbound
Inage-ku, Chiba
6 Chiba-kita IC   National Route 16 18.8 km
11.7 mi
104.20 km
64.75 mi
7 Yotsukaidō IC Pref. Route 64 (Chiba Usui Inzai Route) 24.6 km
15.3 mi
98.4 km
61.1 mi
Yotsukaidō
8 Sakura IC   National Route 51 30.0 km
18.6 mi
93.0 km
57.8 mi
Sakura
PA Shisui PA 35.1 km
21.8 mi
87.90 km
54.62 mi
Shisui
<8-1> Shisui IC     National Route 51 / National Route 296 / National Route 409 37.0 km
23.0 mi
86.0 km
53.4 mi
9 Tomisato IC   National Route 409 39.5 km
24.5 mi
83.5 km
51.9 mi
Tomisato
10 Narita IC/JCT    Shin-Kūkō Expressway
  National Route 295 – Narita International Airport
44.9 km
27.9 mi
78.1 km
48.5 mi
Narita
<10-1> Taiei JCT    Ken-Ō Expressway 51.5 km
32.0 mi
71.5 km
44.4 mi
PA Taiei PA 51.6 km
32.1 mi
71.4 km
44.4 mi
11 Taiei IC   National Route 51 56.6 km
35.2 mi
66.4 km
41.3 mi
12 Sawara Katori IC Pref. Route 55 (Sawara Yamada Route)
Pref. Route 253 (Katori Tsunomiya Route)
65.9 km
40.9 mi
57.1 km
35.5 mi
Katori
PA Sawara PA 68.5 km
42.6 mi
54.5 km
33.9 mi
BR Tonegawa Bridge Length - 630 m
BR Hitachi-Tonegawa Bridge Itako Ibaraki
13 Itako IC Pref. Route 50 (Mito Kamisu Route)
Pref. Route 101 (Itako Sawara Route)
74.5 km
46.3 mi
48.5 km
30.1 mi
<14> Asō IC Pref. Route 50 (Mito Kamisu Route) 85.6 km
53.2 mi
37.4 km
23.2 mi
Planned Namegata
<15> Kitaura IC   National Route 354 97.5 km
60.6 mi
23.5 km
14.6 mi
Planned
16 Hokota IC Pref. Route 18 (Ibaraki Kashima Route) 105.4 km
65.5 mi
17.6 km
10.9 mi
Hokota
17 Ibaraki-minami IC Pref. Route 18 (Ibaraki Kashima Route) 114.2 km
71.0 mi
8.8 km
5.5 mi
Ibaraki
15-1 Ibaraki JCT   Kita-Kantō Expressway 123.0 km
76.4 mi
0.00 km
0 mi

References

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  1. ^ Narita City Board of Education. "Narita Nandemo Encyclopedia". Retrieved 2008-04-15.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "E-NEXCO Expressway Data". Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  3. ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "High Standard Trunk Road Map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-20. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  4. ^ "E-NEXCO Opening Schedule". Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  5. ^ "高速自動車国道等の最高速度". Police Net Chiba. Chiba Prefectural Police.
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