The is a two-lane national

expressway Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...

Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of ...

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It is owned and operated by

East Nippon Expressway Company The , abbreviated as , is one of the main operators of expressways and toll roads in Japan. It is headquartered in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company was established on October 1, 2005 as a result of the privatization of Japan Highway Pub ...

and is signed E4A as a direct extension and spur route of the

Tōhoku Expressway The is a south-north national expressway, and the longest expressway in Japan at . Its southern terminus is in Kawaguchi, Saitama in the Greater Tokyo Area, at the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway and Kawaguchi Route near Araijuku Station, and its no ...

Route description

Aomori IC Tōhoku Expressway and Aomori Expressway

The expressway is officially referred to as the Tōhoku Jūkan Expressway Hachinohe Route. The expressway serves as an extension to the Tōhoku Expressway (which terminates at

Aomori Interchange The is the northern terminus of the Tōhoku Expressway as well as the western terminus of the Aomori Expressway, a two-lane national expressway in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. The Ao ...

) and runs through southern areas of the city of Aomori. From Aomori Interchange, it runs east, crossing under the tracks of the

Tōhoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture in a route length of , making it Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main is ...

. Soon after the expressway meets the

Aomori Belt Highway The Aomori Belt Highway (青森環状道路 ''Aomori Kanjō-dōro'') is a major highway located entirely in the city of Aomori in northern Japan. Signed as National Route 7, it is a bypass that travels to the south of the central district of the ...

, a bypass of National Route 7, which serves for several kilometers from here as a

frontage road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private drivew ...

to the expressway. Eventually, the two roads have are linked by the

Aomori-chūō Interchange The is a tolled single-point urban interchange along the Aomori Expressway in Aomori, Japan. It is the closest expressway interchange to the center of that city. The interchange is owned, tolled, and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. D ...

where tolls are collected for the entire expressway, including any tolls accrued from traveling from the Tōhoku Expressway. The expressway continues east and splits from National Route 7 before it comes to its end at

Aomori-higashi Interchange The is the eastern terminus of the Aomori Expressway, a two-lane national expressway in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. There is no toll gate at the interchange; drivers pay to use the ...

near the western terminus of the

Michinoku Toll Road The Michinoku Toll Road (みちのく有料道路 ''Michinoku Yūryōdōro'') is a two-lane toll road in Aomori Prefecture connecting the cities Aomori and Hachinohe via Shichinohe. It serves as an alternative to Japan National Route 4, bypassing t ...

. The speed limit is 70 km/h for the entire route.

History

Construction on Aomori Expressway began in 1999 and it was opened to traffic on 28 September 2003. The completion of the expressway reduced travel times from the Tōhoku Expressway to Central Aomori by 11 minutes and reduced congestion along the

Aomori West Bypass The Aomori West Bypass (青森西バイパス Aomori Nishi Bypass) is a major highway located entirely in the city of Aomori in northern Japan. The highway main function is to link the western part of the city to its center. Signed as National Ro ...

.事後評価結果（平成２０年度）
(in Japanese)

Future

Though the Aomori Expressway terminates at

, it is planned to eventually connect with the northern terminus of the

Hachinohe Expressway The is a 4-laned national expressway in the prefectures of Iwate and Aomori in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is a spur of the Tōhoku Expressway, primarily serving the city of Hachinohe. Signed as E4A, it is owned and operated by East Nippon E ...

in the town of

Oirase is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 25,149, and a population density of 350 persons per km², in 10,423 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Oirase is located on the eastern c ...

via a series of

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented ...

Junction list

The entire expressway is in

. The expressway is a direct extension of the Tōhoku Expressway. Therefore, the distance and exit numbers continue from the sequence of the Tōhoku Expressway, starting at . , colspan="8" style="text-align: center;", Through to , colspan="8" style="text-align: center;", Through to

References

External links

*
East Nippon Expressway Company
{{Expressways of Japan Expressways in Japan Roads in Aomori Prefecture Tōhoku Expressway 2003 establishments in Japan