Ban-etsu Expressway

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Ban-etsu Expressway
磐越自動車道
Route information
Length: 212.7 km[1] (132.2 mi)
Existed: 1990[2] – present
Major junctions
From: Iwaki Junction in Iwaki, Fukushima
Jōban Expressway
To: Niigata-Chūō Interchange in Niigata, Niigata
Niigata Prefectural Route 16
Niigata Prefectural Route 290
Location
Major cities: Tamura, Kōriyama, Motomiya, Aizuwakamatsu, Agano, Gosen
Highway system
National highways of Japan
Expressways of Japan

The Ban-etsu Expressway (磐越自動車道 Ban'etsu Jidōsha-dō) is a national expressway in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Naming

The name Ban-etsu (磐越) is a kanji acronym consisting of characters found in the former names of the provinces linked by the expressway. Iwaki Province () consists of the eastern part of present-day Fukushima Prefecture, and Echigo Province () consists of present-day Niigata Prefecture.

Officially the expressway is referred to as the Tōhoku-Ōdan Expressway Iwaki Niigata Route.[3]

Overview

Kōriyama Junction

The route of the expressway connects the coastlines of the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea by traversing the mountainous interior of the Tōhoku region.

The expressway commences at a junction with the Jōban Expressway in Iwaki, Fukushima and follows a northwesterly course to the city of Kōriyama, where it intersects with the Tōhoku Expressway. The expressway continues its course through the historic Aizu region, with Mount Bandai viewable to the north and Lake Inawashiro viewable to the south. The route then enters Niigata Prefecture and eventually terminates at a junction in Niigata City with the Hokuriku Expressway and Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway.

The route parallels the East Ban'etsu Line and West Ban'etsu Line of East Japan Railway Company and National Route 49 for much of its length.

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1990 and the entire route was completed in 1997.[2] The route was originally 2 lanes only, one in each direction. However expansion to two lanes in each direction has proceeded gradually over the years. Expansion of the eastern half (between Iwaki Junction and Kōriyama Junction) was completed in 2009.[4]

Using the Ban-etsu and Hokuriku Expressway to travel between the Tōhoku and Kinki regions is shorter and cheaper than using expressways that traverse a route via the greater Tokyo urban area.[5]

All service areas along the route feature restaurants and shops (there are also shops at Gobyakugawa Parking Area). There are 24-hour gas stations at Abukumakōgen Service Area and Bandaisan Service Area. There is a 24-hour FamilyMart convenience store at Aganogawa Service Area (Niigata-bound only). Saiso Parking Area and Miharu Parking Area feature vending machines and toilets, while all other parking areas have only toilets.[6]

List of interchanges and features

No. Name Connections Dist. from
Origin
Dist. from
Terminus
Bus Stop Notes Speed Limit Lanes Location
(16-1) Iwaki JCT Jōban Expressway 0.0 212.7 80 km/h Four Iwaki Fukushima
TN Gōdo Tunnel Length - 383 m 70 km/h Two
1 Iwaki-Miwa IC National Route 49
Pref. Route 66 (Onahama Ono Route)
8.8 203.9
80 km/h Four
TN Watato Tunnel Length - 1,140 m
PA Saiso PA 18.7 194.0
70 km/h Two
2 Ono IC/JCT Abukuma Kōgen Road
National Route 349
35.2 177.5 Ono
80 km/h Four
TN Shinkazakoshi Tunnel Iwaki-bound - 460 m
Niigata-bound - 538 m
Tamura
SA Abukumakōgen SA 46.8 165.9
70 km/h Two
3 Funehiki-Miharu IC National Route 288 55.7 157.0
PA Miharu PA 59.5 153.2
3-1 Kōriyama-higashi IC National Route 288 63.7 149.0 Kōriyama
80 km/h Four
(18-1) Kōriyama JCT Tōhoku Expressway 71.4 141.3
BR Gohyakugawa Bridge Length - 170 m
Motomiya
PA Gohyakugawa PA 76.5 136.2 Kōriyama
4 Bandaiatami IC Pref. Route 24 (Nakanosawa Atami Route) 79.6 133.1
TN Takatamahigashi Tunnel Length - 1,120 m
TN Takatamanishi Tunnel Length - 990 m
TN Shinnakayama Tunnel Length - 1,820 m
TN Kurateyama Tunnel Length - 1,670 m
Inawashiro
TN Sekito Tunnel Length - 1,490 m
5 Inawashiro Bandaikōgen IC National Route 115 97.6 115.1
SA Bandaisan SA 105.3 107.4 Bandai
6 Bandai Kawahigashi IC Pref. Route 64 (Aizuwakamatsu Urabandai Route) 111.5 101.2 Aizu-
wakamatsu
7 Aizuwakamatsu IC National Route 121 117.5 95.2
70 km/h Two
PA Niitsuru PA/SIC 124.7 88.0 Aizumisato
TN Nanaori Tunnel Length - 2,360 m Aizubange
8 Aizubange IC National Route 49
National Route 252
132.4 80.3
BR Tadamigawa Bridge Length - 310 m
TN Tabanematsu Tunnel Length - 1,330 m
Nishiaizu
TN Toyasan Tunnel Length - 2,600 m
TN Nishiaizu Tunnel Length - 1,020 m
9/PA Nishiaizu IC/PA National Route 49
Pref. Route 16 (Kitakata Nishiaizu Route)
143.8 68.9
TN Nagasaka Tunnel Length - 740 m
TN Ryūgadake Tunnel Length - 3,660 m
TN Kuromoriyama Tunnel Length - 2,760 m
Aga Niigata
TN Koide Tunnel Length - 1,120 m
PA Kamikawa PA 162.6 50.1
10 Tsugawa IC Pref. Route 89 (Tsugawa Inter Route) 166.2 46.5
TN Yakiyama Tunnel Length - 2,990 m
BS Mikawa Bus Stop 172.8 39.9
11 Mikawa IC Pref. Route 587 (Mikawa Inter Route) 174.0 38.7
TN Yoshizu Tunnel Length - 910 m
TN Nishiyama Tunnel Length - 2,400 m
TN Kumawatari Tunnel Length - 160 m
SA Aganogawa SA 181.0 31.7
TN Komatsu Tunnel Length - 210 m Agano
TN Hōshusan Tunnel Length - 610 m
12 Yasuda IC Pref. Route 41 (Shirone Yasuda Route) 188.9 23.8
80 km/h Four
PA Gosen PA 191.2 21.5 Gosen
70 km/h Two
13 Niitsu IC Pref. Route 34 (Niitsu Teishajō Route)
National Route 460
198.5 14.2 Akiha-ku, Niigata
BS Kawaguchi Bus Stop 202.2 10.5
BS Sakaya Bus Stop 207.5 5.2 Kōnan-ku, Niigata
PA Niigata PA 208.6 4.1
100 km/h Four
(42) Niigata-Chūō JCT Hokuriku Expressway
Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway
211.9 0.8
14 Niigata-Chūō IC Pref. Route 16 (Niigata Kameda Uchino Route)
Pref. Route 290 (Sonoki Hitoichi Route)
212.7 0.0

References

  1. "E-NEXCO Expressway Data". Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Iwaki Times, October 3, 1997". Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  3. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "High Standard Trunk Road Map" (pdf). Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
  4. "E-NEXCO Opening Schedule". Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  5. "E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Route Search". Archived from the original on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  6. "E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Service/Parking Area Search". Archived from the original on 16 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 

External links

37°02′16″N 140°49′02″E / 37.037744°N 140.817292°E / 37.037744; 140.817292 Iwaki JCT 37°52′26″N 139°02′21″E / 37.873871°N 139.039028°E / 37.873871; 139.039028 Niigata-Chūō IC

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