Hokuriku Expressway

The abbreviation of Hokuriku Expressway also shares the same name as the former geographical region of Japan, Hokurikudō

Hokuriku Expressway
北陸自動車道
Route information
Length: 476.5 km[1] (296.1 mi)
Existed: 1972[2] – present
Major junctions
From: Niigata-Chūō Junction in Niigata, Niigata
Ban-etsu Expressway
Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway
To: Maibara Junction in Maibara, Shiga
Meishin Expressway
Location
Major cities: Nagaoka, Jōetsu, Uozu, Toyama, Kanazawa, Komatsu, Fukui, Sabae, Echizen, Tsuruga, Nagahama
Highway system
National highways of Japan
Expressways of Japan

The Hokuriku Expressway (北陸自動車道 Hokuriku Jidōsha-dō), (abbreviated as Hokuriku Expwy (北陸道 Hokurikudō), is a 4-laned national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company.

Overview

The first section was opened in 1972 by Japan Highway Public Corporation and construction proceeded in stages until the entire route was completed in 1988.[3] On October 1, 2005, all national expressways were privatized[4] and management of the Hokuriku Expressway was divided between the East and Central Nippon Expressway Companies.[5]

The route serves the Hokuriku region on the north central coast of Honshū, Japan's largest island. For most of its length it parallels National Route 8 and the Hokuriku Main Line of West Japan Railway Company.

Although the route officially originates in Niigata and terminates at Maibara, exit numbers and kilometer markings originate from Maibara.

Features

Around Tsuruga Interchange, the south-bound lanes cross over the north-bound lanes and diverges drastically. The expressway rejoins normally at a point near Suizu Parking Area.

There are 14 tunnels between Kinomoto Interchange and Takefu Interchange (two of which are longer than 2,000 m), and 26 tunnels between Asahi Interchange and Jōetsu Interchange (eight of which are longer than 2,000 m).

List of interchanges and features

No. Name Connections Dist. from
Maibara		 Bus Stop Notes Location
27-1 Maibara JCT Meishin Expressway 0.0 Maibara Shiga
1 Maibara IC National Route 21 0.7
PA Kanda PA 4.7 X Nagahama
2 Nagahama IC Pref. Route 37 (Nakayama Higashi Kōsaka Route) 9.7 X
BS Torahime Bus Stop X Closed
BS Kohoku Bus Stop X Closed
BS Takatsuki Bus Stop X Closed
3 Kinomoto IC National Route 8
National Route 365		 23.6 X
SA Shizugatake SA 25.8
BS/CB Yogo Bus Stop
Yogo Chain Base		 X Bus Stop closed
BS/CB Yogo-kita Bus Stop
Yogo-kita Chain Base		 X Bus Stop closed
PA Tone PA 38.5 X Tsuruga Fukui
<3-1> Tsuruga JCT Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway 45.7 Planned
4 Tsuruga IC National Route 8 (Tsuruga Bypass) 46.8 ○
BS/CB Tajiri (South-bound)
Akihara (North-bound)		 X Bus Stop closed
PA Suizu PA 57.1 X
5 Imajō IC National Route 365 68.3 X Minamiechizen
SA Nanjō SA 72.2 X
6 Takefu IC Pref. Route 262 (Takefu Inter Higashi Route)
Pref. Route 40 (Takefu Inter Route)		 80.8 ○ Echizen
7 Sabae IC Pref. Route 105 (Sabae Imadate Route)
Pref. Route 39 (Sabae Inter Route)		 86.2 ○ Sabae
PA Kitasabae PA 89.3
8 Fukui IC National Route 158 97.4 ○ Fukui
9 Fukui-kita IC/JCT Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway (Planned)
National Route 416		 103.8 ○
10 Maruoka IC Pref. Route 38 (Maruoka Inter Route) 110.6 ○ Sakai
PA Onagatani PA 113.6
11 Kanazu IC Pref. Route 37 (Kanazu Inter Route) 121.1 Awara
12 Kaga IC Pref. Route 61 (Kaga Inter Route) 128.4 Kaga Ishikawa
SA Amagozen SA 137.0 ○
13 Katayamazu IC Pref. Route 20 (Komatsu Kaga Route) 140.9
PA Ataka PA/SIC 144.9 Komatsu
14 Komatsu IC Pref. Route 25 (Kanazawa Mikawa Komatsu Route) 149.5 ○
15 Mikawa IC Pref. Route 25 (Kanazawa Mikawa Komatsu Route)
Pref. Route 58 (Tsurugi Mikawa Inter Route)		 160.5 Hakusan
PA Tokumitsu PA/SIC 164.9 ○ Highway Oasis
BS Mattō Bus Stop 169.6 X closed by replacement
15-2 Hakusan IC Pref. Route 8 (Mattō Unoke Route) 170.1 ○ incl. Mattō Bus Stop
16 Kanazawa-nishi IC National Route 8 (Kanazawa Bypass) 172.7 Kanazawa
17 Kanazawa-higashi IC National Route 8 (Kanazawa Bypass) 180.4
17-1 Kanazawa-morimoto IC National Route 159 (Kanazawa Tōbu Kanjō Road)
National Route 304		 183.6
PA Fudōji PA 184.9
18 Oyabe IC Pref. Route 42 (Oyabe Fukumitsu Route 198.0 Oyabe Toyama
SA Oyabegawa Service Area SA 200.1
19 Oyabe-Tonami JCT Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway
Nōetsu Expressway		 203.5
Tonami
20 Tonami IC National Route 359 207.4
PA Takaoka PA 216.3 Takaoka
21 Kosugi IC National Route 472 221.7 Imizu
PA Kureha PA 224.6
21-1 Toyama-nishi IC Pref. Route 41 (Shinminato Hiraoka Route) 226.9 Toyama
22 Toyama IC National Route 41 234.3
PA Nagaresugi PA 240.9
23 Tateyama IC Pref. Route 3 (Toyama Tateyama Uozu Route) 246.6 Tateyama
24 Namerikawa IC Pref. Route 51 (Minowa Namerikawa Inter Route) 254.7 ○ Namerikawa
SA Arisoumi SA 258.4 Maibara-bound
261.8 Niigata-bound Uozu
25 Uozu IC Pref. Route 52 (Ishigaki Uozu Inter Route) 264.0
26 Kurobe IC Pref. Route 53 (Wakaguri Ikuji Route) 273.6 ○ Kurobe
PA Nyūzen PA/SIC 278.1 Nyūzen
27 Asahi IC National Route 8 282.3 Asahi
PA Etchūsakai PA 288.6
28 Oyashirazu IC National Route 8 299.6 Itoigawa Niigata
29 Itoigawa IC National Route 148 312.1
PA Rendaiji PA 313.7
BS Hayakawa Bus Stop 318.2 ○
30 Nou IC Pref. Route 246 (Nishitobiyama Nō Route)
Pref. Route 88 (Nō Inter Route)		 326.7 ○
31/SA Nadachi Tanihama IC/
SA		 Pref. Route 87 (Nadachi Tanihama Inter Route) 341.8 ○ Jōetsu
31-1 Jōetsu JCT Jōshin-etsu Expressway 351.6
BS Kida Bus Stop 353.6 ○
32 Jōetsu IC National Route 18 (Jōshin Bypass) 356.0
BS Kubiki Bus Stop 360.8 ○
PA Ōgata PA/SIC Pref. Route 77 (Jōetsu Kubiki Ōgata Route) 365.4 SIC: Open 06:00-22:00
BS Katamachi Bus Stop 368.0 ○
33 Kakizaki IC National Route 8 (Kakizaki Bypass) 373.9 ○
34/SA Yoneyama IC/
SA		 National Route 8 385.3 SA: Niigata-bound Kashiwazaki
SA Yoneyama SA 386.4 Maibara-bound
BS Kamigata Bus Stop 393.6 ○
35 Kashiwazaki IC National Route 252 397.2
BS Sochi Bus Stop 403.0 ○
PA Kariwa PA 405.9 Kariwa
36 Nishiyama IC Pref. Route 23 (Kashiwazaki Takahama Horinouchi Route)
Pref. Route 393 (Raihai Nagaoka Route)		 407.9 ○ Kashiwazaki
PA Ōzumi PA 415.1 ○ Nagaoka
37 Nagaoka JCT Kan-Etsu Expressway 421.5
BS Nagaoka-kita Bus Stop 424.1 ○
38 Nakanoshima-Mitsuke IC National Route 8 (Mitsuke Bypass) 432.2
PA Sakae PA 441.6 ○ Sanjō
39 Sanjō-Tsubame IC National Route 289 447.5 ○ Tsubame
40 Maki-Katahigashi IC Pref. Route 9 (Nagaoka Tochio Maki Route)
National Route 460		 457.8 ○ Nishikan-ku, Niigata
PA Kurosaki PA/SIC 467.1 SIC: Open 06:00-22:00 Nishi-ku, Niigata
BS Toppara Bus Stop 471.1 ○
41 Niigata-nishi IC National Route 116 (Niigata Bypass) 473.0
42 Niigata-Chūō JCT Ban-etsu Expressway 476.5 Kōnan-ku, Niigata
Through to Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway

References

  1. ↑ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Kinki Regional Development Bureau. "Road Timetable" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  2. ↑ "Expressway Opening Dates" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  3. ↑ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Hokuriku Regional Development Bureau. "Oyashirazu Pia Park Profile" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  4. ↑ Mizutani, Fumitoshi; Uranishi, Shuji (2006). Privatization of the Japan Highway Public Corporation: Policy Assessment (pdf). 46th Congress for the European Regional Science Association. Volos, Greece. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  5. ↑ "NEXCO-Central Business Outline" (pdf). Retrieved 2008-04-13.

External links