Chūō Expressway

The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by NEXCO Central.

Naming

Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route (from Takaido Interchange to Komaki Junction), the Chūō Expressway Nagano Route (from Takaido Interchange to Okaya Junction), and the Chūō Expressway Fujiyoshida Route (from Takaido Interchange through Ōtsuki Junction to Kawaguchiko Interchange, this section being a branch of the main route). These designations do not appear on any signage as all sections are signed simply as the Chūō Expressway.

Overview

The Chūō Expressway is a major roadway connecting the greater Tokyo and Nagoya urban areas, a role also shared by the Tōmei Expressway. While the Tōmei Expressway follows a coastal route, the Chūō Expressway follows an inland route through the mountainous regions of Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Gifu Prefectures, its highest point (1,015 meters above sea level) being at 157.3 km point sandwiched between the Yatsugatake Mountains and Southern Japanese Alps. In addition, a branch of the expressway in Yamanashi Prefecture known as the Kawaguchiko Route facilitates access to Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes area.

The expressway is 4 lanes for its entire length except for the section between Uenohara Interchange and Ōtuski Junction, which is 6 to 7 lanes. This section was originally 4 lanes as well, however increasing traffic volume led to the construction of a new parallel roadway for Uenohara-bound traffic, with the original 4 lanes of roadway being converted for the use of Ōtsuki-bound traffic only.

Tolls on the section from Takaido Interchange to Hachiōji Interchange are charged at a flat rate. As of October 2024, the toll on this section is 1000 yen for a regular passenger car. Tolls on all other sections of the expressway are assessed according to distance travelled in the same manner as most other national expressways. Also, tolls on the section from Sonohara Interchange to Nakatsugawa Interchange are assessed at 1.6 times the normal rate to account for the high cost of constructing the Enasan Tunnel. Vehicles carrying dangerous materials are forbidden from using this tunnel and must use alternate routes.

History

December 15, 1967 - Chōfu Interchange - Hachiōji Interchange section opened. December 20, 1968 - Hachiōji Interchange - Sagamiko Interchange section opened. March 17, 1969 - Sagamiko Interchange - Kawaguchiko Interchange section opened. October 5, 1972 - Tajimi Interchange - Komaki Junction section opened, connecting with the Tōmei Expressway. September 6, 1973 - Mizunami Interchange - Tajimi Interchange section opened. March 5, 1975 - Nakatsugawa Interchange - Mizunami Interchange section opened. August 23, 1975 - Komagane Interchange - Nakatsugawa Interchange section opened (Enasan Tunnel opened with 2 lanes of traffic only). May 18, 1976 - Takaido Interchange - Chōfu Interchange section opened. September 18, 1976 - Ihoku Interchange - Komagane Interchange section opened. December 19, 1976 - Nirasaki Interchange - Kobuchisawa Interchange section opened. December 20, 1977 - Ōtsuki Junction - Katsunuma Interchange section opened. November 16, 1979 - Komaki-higashi Interchange opened. March 26, 1980 - Kōfu-Shōwa Interchange - Nirasaki Interchange section opened. March 30, 1981 - Kobuchisawa Interchange - Ihoku Interchange section opened. November 10, 1982 - Katsunuma Interchange - Kōfu-Shōwa Interchange section opened, completing the entire route. November, 1984 - Tsuru Interchange opened. March 25, 1986 - Okaya Junction - Okaya Interchange section opened. August 28, 1986 - Connection to Higashifuji-goko Road at Kawaguchiko Interchange is completed. September 27, 1986 - Nagasaka Interchange opened. March 5, 1988 - Okaya Junction - Okaya Interchange section is transferred to the Nagano Expressway. September 27, 1989 - Uenohara Interchange opened. March 25, 1992 - Sonohara Interchange opened. January, 1993 - Renovation of Dangōzaka Service Area completed. The Komaki-bound service area is moved 2 km closer to Tokyo, while the Tokyo-bound service area is moved to the former site of the Komaki-bound service area. April 14, 1995 - Inagi Interchange opened. March 24, 2002 - Futaba Junction is opened, connecting with the Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway. March 16, 2003 - Reconstruction of the Uenohara Interchange - Ōtsuki Junction section is completed (additional lanes added, areas with sharp curves abandoned, Tokyo-bound Dangōzaka Service Area renovated, area near Ōtsuki Junction susceptible to traffic weaving eliminated). March 19, 2005 - Toki Junction is opened, connecting with the Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway. October 1, 2005 - Expressway management is transferred from Japan Highway Public Corporation to Central Nippon Expressway Company as a result of the privatization of the national expressway network. October 1, 2006 - Futaba Smart Interchange opened. June 23, 2007 - Hachiōji Junction is opened, connecting with the Ken-Ō Expressway. December 2, 2012 - Sasago Tunnel collapses, killing nine people.

List of interchanges and features

IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, TN - tunnel, TB - toll gate

Main Route No.NameConnectionsDist. fromOriginBus StopNotesSpeed LimitLocationThrough to Shuto Expressway Shinjuku Route1Takaido ICMet. Route 14 (Shinjuku Kunitachi Route) (Tōhachi Road)0.0Tokyo-bound exit only60 km/hSuginamiTokyo<2>Chūō JCTPlannedMitakaBSMitaka Bus Stop4.0○TBMitaka Toll Gate4.0Komaki-bound only80 km/hBSJindaiji Bus Stop6.0○Chōfu3Chōfu IC7.73-1Inagi ICMet. Route 9 (Kawasaki Fuchū Route)10.0Komaki-bound exit, Takaido-bound entrance onlyFuchū100 km/hBSFuchū Bus Stop/SICMet. Route 9 (Kawasaki Fuchū Route)11.5○SIC: Takaido-bound exit, Komaki-bound entrance only4Kunitachi-Fuchū IC17.0KunitachiBSHino Bus Stop20.0○HinoPAIshikawa PA23.323.5Takaido-boundKomaki-boundHachiōji5-1Hachiōji No.1 Exit25.8Komaki-bound only5-2Hachiōji No.2 ExitKomaki-bound only5TB5Hachiōji ICHachiōji Toll GateHachiōji ExitExit is Takaido-bound onlyBSMotohachiōji Bus Stop31.0○80 km/h-Motohachiōji ICMet. Route 61 (Yamada Miyanomae Route)33.2open in 20216Hachiōji JCT36.07Sagamiko Higashi Exit42.4Komaki-bound onlySagamiharaKanagawaBSSagamiko Bus Stop42.9○8Sagamiko IC45.4PAFujino PA46.59Uenohara ICPref. Route 35 (Yokkaichiba Uenohara Route)50.3○UenoharaYamanashiSADangōzaka SA/Nodajiri Bus Stop55.6Komaki-bound57.7○Takaido-boundBSSaruhashi Bus Stop65.1○Ōtsuki10Ōtsuki IC70.411Ōtsuki JCT71.4BSMagi Bus Stop72.8○PAHatsukari PA74.8BSSasago Bus Stop78.7○70 km/hBSKai-Yamato Bus Stop86.4○Kōshū12Katsunuma IC90.580 km/hPAShakadō PA92.8○FuefukiBSKai-Ichinomiya Bus Stop95.2○13Ichinomiya-Misaka IC96.6BSMisaka Bus Stop98.7○13-1Fuefuki-Yatsushiro SIC/Yatsushiro Bus StopPref. Route 22 (Kōfu Fuefuki Route)Pref. Route 313 (Fujinuta Isawa Route)100.6○PASakaigawa PA104.2104.5○Takaido-boundKomaki-bound14Kōfu-minami IC106.2○Kōfu-Kōfu Chūō SIC108.5open in 2019BSShōwa Bus Stop112.3○Shōwa15Kōfu-Shōwa IC113.815-1Futaba SA/SIC/Futaba-higashi Bus StopPref. Route 6 (Kōfu Nirasaki Route)Pref. Route 25 (Kai Chūō Route)118.5○SIC: Komaki-bound exit, Takaido-bound entrance onlyKai15-2Futaba JCT120.4-Kai IC/JCT (planned)Pref. Route 616 (Shimokamijō Miyakubo Emidō Route)Planned16Nirasaki ICPref. Route 27 (Nirasaki Shōsenkyō Route)125.0NirasakiBSAkeno Bus Stop129.5○Hokuto17Sutama IC132.070 km/hBSNagasaka-Takane Bus Stop140.1○17-1Nagasaka ICPref. Route 32 (Nagasaka Takane Route)140.780 km/h-Nagasaka JCT (Planned)PlannedPAYatsugatake PA143.1○18Kobuchisawa ICPref. Route 11 (Hokuto Fujimi Route)148.9FujimiNaganoBSFujimi Bus Stop157.7○19Suwa-minami ICPref. Route 425 (Haraizawa Fujimi Route)Pref. Route 90 (Suwa-minami Inter Route)161.5PAChūōdō-Hara PA163.8○Komaki-boundHara164.6Takaido-boundBSChino Bus Stop169.9○Chino20Suwa IC172.6SuwaBSAruga Bus Stop177.3○SASuwako SA178.5Okaya21Okaya JCT182.7From Okaya JCT to Komaki JCT the Chūō Expressway is signed "E19"BSKawagishi Bus Stop186.0○PATatsuno PA192.7○Tatsuno22Ihoku IC196.7○MinowaBSMinowa Bus Stop200.5○23Ina ICPref. Route 476 (Ina Inter Nishiminowa Route)Pref. Route 87 (Ina Inter Route)206.2○MinamiminowaIna23-1Ogurogawa PA/SIC209.1BSNishiharuchika Bus Stop212.2○BSMiyada Bus Stop217.4○Miyada24Komagane ICPref. Route 75 (Komagane Komagatake Kōen Route)221.4○Komagane24-1Komagatake SA/SIC224.7BSIijima Bus Stop228.7○Iijima25Matsukawa ICPref. Route 15 (Iijima Iida Route)Pref. Route 59 (Matsukawa Inter Ōshika Route)236.7○MatsukawaBSTakamori Bus Stop243.1○TakamoriPAZakōji PA245.3IidaBSKamiiida Bus Stop248.9○26Iida IC/Igara Bus Stop252.2○26-1Iida-Yamamoto IC257.4PAAchi PA/Komaba Bus Stop259.8○Achi70 km/h26-1Sonohara ICPref. Route 89 (Sonohara Inter Route)Pref. Route 477 (Fujimidai Kōen Route)267.0○Takaido-bound exit, Komaki-bound entrance onlyTNEnasan Tunnel271.0Length - 8,649 m, dangerous goods forbiddenNakatsugawaGifuPAMisaka PA/Magome Bus Stop278.9○80 km/h27Nakatsugawa IC288.9○SAEnakyō SA294.4Ena28Ena ICPref. Route 68 (Ena Shirakawa Route)298.3○PAByōbuzan PA310.2311.4Takaido-boundKomaki-boundMizunamiBSMizunami-Tentoku Bus Stop314.8○29Mizunami ICPref. Route 47 (Mizunami Inter Route)316.430Toki IC320.9○Toki30-1Toki JCT323.4PAKokeizan PA327.9Takaido-bound onlyTajimi31Tajimi IC329.7○PAUtsutsutōge PA336.2KasugaiAichi32Komaki-higashi ICPref. Route 49 (Kasugai Inuyama Route)337.8KomakiBSTōkadai Bus Stop343.0○23Komaki JCT344.9

Changing areas for snow chains Achi PA - Sonohara IC Hatsukari PA - Katsunuma IC Sutama IC - Nagasaka IC (Komaki-bound) Yatsugatake PA - Kobuchisawa IC (Two areas Komaki-bound) Kobuchisawa IC - Suwa-minami IC Okaya JCT - Tatsuno PA

Kawaguchiko Route No.NameConnectionsDist. fromTakaido ICBus StopNotesLocation(all in Yamanashi)11Ōtsuki JCT71.4ŌtsukiBSOgatayama Bus Stop73.2○Tsuru1Tsuru ICPref. Route 705 (Takahatake Yamura Teishajō Route)Pref. Route 40 (Tsuru Inter Route)77.6○Fujiyoshida-bound exit, Ōtsuki-bound entrance onlyPAYamura PA79.479.7Ōtsuki-boundFujiyoshida-boundBSNishikatsura Bus Stop84.7○NishikatsuraBSShimoyoshida Bus Stop89.8○Fujiyoshida1-1Fujiyoshida-Nishikatsura SICPref. Route 718 (Fujiyoshida Nishikatsura Route)93.92Kawaguchiko IC93.9Fujiyoshida-bound exit, Ōtsuki-bound entrance onlyFujikawaguchikoThrough to The speed limit on the Kawaguchiko Route is 80 km/h. To prevent confusion with the main route, kilometer markers along the Kawaguchiko Route show the distance from Takaido Interchange plus 300 (the marker at Ōtsuki Junction is 371.4 while the marker at Kawaguchiko Interchange is 393.9)

In popular culture The Chūō Expressway features prominently in the song "Chūō Freeway" () by Yumi Matsutoya, from the 1976 studio album . The song describes the scenery along the highway in the vicinity of Fuchū, Tokyo.

References

External links

Central Nippon Expressway Company