The is a 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 ...

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

, Japan. 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 ...

Naming

The road is named the Dō-Ō Expressway ( "Central Hokkaidō Expressway") in Japanese; however, it's also known as the Hokkaido Expressway. Officially the expressway is designated as the of the . The name distinguishes it from the , the .

Route description

The expressway connects the north of Hokkaido with the south via the city of

Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...

. Extension of the expressway in the north towards the city of

Wakkanai ' meaning "cold water river" is a city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. It contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Sōya, from which the Russian island of Sakhalin can be seen. As of ...

and in the south towards the city of

Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...

is underway; although the Hokkaido Expressway itself is not planned to extend as far as these two cities, various expressway-standard roads (bypasses of

National Route 40 The following highways are numbered 40: International * European route E40 Argentina * National Route 40 (Argentina), National Route 40 Australia * NSW State Route 40 (Windsor Road and Victoria Road in Sydney) * Route 40, Melbourne, Victorian ...

to the north and National Route 5 to the south) will cover the remaining distances. Some unfinished sections of the expressway (Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Interchange to Nayoro Interchange in the north and Ōnuma Interchange to Nanae Interchange in the south) will be constructed according to the New Direct Control System. These sections are expected to operate toll-free upon completion. The section from Sapporo-minami Interchange through Sapporo Junction to Sapporo-nishi Interchange on the

Sasson Expressway The is a 4-laned national Expressways of Japan, expressway in Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming The name Sasson is a kanji acronym of two characters. The first character represents and the second rep ...

is built to an urban expressway standard and the tolls are charged at a flat rate. As of March 2008 the toll on this section is 400

yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...

for regular passenger cars. Tolls on all other sections of the expressway are assessed according to distance travelled in the same manner as most other national expressways.

History

*4 December 1971 - Kitahiroshima Interchange - Chitose Interchange section opened. *19 September 1972 - Kitahiroshima Interchange - Chitose Interchange section expanded to 4 lanes. *24 October 1978 - Chitose Interchange - Tomakomai-higashi Interchange section opened. *29 October 1979 - Sapporo-minami Interchange - Kitahiroshima Interchange section opened. *29 October 1980 - Tomakomai-higashi Interchange - Tomakomai-nishi Interchange section opened. *9 November 1983 - Sapporo Interchange - Iwamizawa Interchange section opened. *30 November 1983 - Tomakomai-nishi Interchange - Shiraoi Interchange section opened. *18 October 1985 - Shiraoi Interchange - Noboribetsu-higashi Interchange section opened. *25 October 1985 - Sapporo Interchange - Sapporo-minami Interchange section opened. *9 October 1986 - Noboribetsu-higashi Interchange - Noboribetsu Muroran Interchange section opened. *18 September 1987 - Iwamizawa Interchange - Bibai Interchange section opened. Mikasa and Bibai Interchanges become the first in Japan to implement automated ticket dispensers at toll gates. *8 October 1988 - Bibai Interchange - Takikawa Interchange section opened. *12 September 1989 - Takikawa Interchange - Fukagawa Interchange section opened. *30 October 1990 - Fukagawa Interchange - Asahikawa Takasu Interchange section opened (originally 2 lanes, expansion to 4 lanes completed in 2004). *26 April 1991 - Highway Oasis opened at Sunagawa Service Area (at that time the second in Japan in first in Hokkaido). *25 October 1991 - Noboribetsu Muroran Interchange - Muroran Interchange section opened. *30 September 1992 - Sapporo Junction is opened, connecting with the Sasson Expressway. *27 October 1992 - Muroran Interchange - Date Interchange section opened. *30 March 1994 - Date Interchange - Abuta Tōyako Interchange section opened. *22 October 1997 - Abuta Tōyako Interchange - Oshamanbe Interchange section opened. *23 March 1998 - Connection with the

Hidaka Expressway The is a partially tolled expressway in Iburi Subprefecture and Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. The expressway connects Hidaka to the Dō-Ō Expressway. It is owned and operated by partially by the East Nippon Expressway Company and the Mi ...

is completed at Tomakomai-higashi Interchange. *11 April 1998 - Fukagawa Junction is opened, connecting with the Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway. *7 October 1999 - Chitose-Eniwa Junction is opened, connecting with the

Dōtō Expressway The is a Two-lane freeway, 2-laned national Expressways of Japan, expressway in Hokkaidō, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. It forms the middle section of the . Overview The expressway is connects the east of ...

. *November 1999 - Chitose-bound exit opened at Sapporo-minami Interchange. *29 March 29, 2000 - Date Interchange - Toyoura Interchange section closed due to risk of eruption from nearby

Mount Usu is an active stratovolcano in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaido, Japan. It has erupted four times since 1900: in 1910 (which created Meiji-shinzan 神沼克伊,小山悦郎 ''日本の火山を科学する　日本列島津々浦々、 ...

. *13 July 2000 - Temporary Abuta Tōyako Interchange opened, allowing access to Toyoura Interchange. *4 October 2000 - Asahikawa Takasu Interchange - Wassamu Interchange section opened. *9 February 2001 - Date Interchange - Toyoura Interchange section reopened. *30 June 2001 - Temporary Abuta Tōyako Interchange closed due to full reopening of expressway. *10 September 2001 - Asahikawa-bound entrance opened at Sapporo-minami Interchange. *17 October 2001 - Fukagawa Interchange - Otoe Parking Area section expanded to 4 lanes. *19 November 2001 - Oshamanbe Interchange - Kunnui Interchange section opened. *30 September 2003 - Otoe Parking Area - Asahikawa Takasu Interchange section expanded to 4 lanes. *4 October 2003 - Wassamu Interchange - Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Interchange section opened. *27 March 2004 - Pippu Junction is opened, connecting with the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway. *18 November 2006 - Kunnui Interchange - Yakumo Interchange section opened. *21 December 2007 - Abuta Tōyako Interchange is moved to a new location to meet the rebuilt National Route 230. *10 October 2009 - Yakumo Interchange - Otoshibe Interchange section opened. *26 November 2011 - Otoshibe Interchange - Mori Interchange section opened. *10 November 2012 - Mori Interchange - Ōnuma Kōen Interchange section opened. *3 August 2013 - New Chitose Airport Interchange opened. *13 December 2020 - Tomakomai-chūō Interchange opened.

List of interchanges and features

* IC - interchange, JCT -

junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film * Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film * Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002 * Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...

, SA -

service area Service area may refer to: * Rest area, a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel * Service area (computing) In computing, data recovery is a process of r ...

, PA -

parking area A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

, BS -

bus stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

, SIC -

smart interchange A is a feature of Japanese expressways that provides exclusive access to and from the expressway for vehicles equipped with electronic toll collection (ETC). The feature increases accessibility to and from the expressway in less-populated areas ...

, TB -

toll gate Toll Gate or Tollgate may refer to: * Toll gate, a barrier across a toll road or toll bridge that is lifted when the toll is paid Entertainment * "Tollgate" (Hale single) * ''The Toll-Gate'', a 1954 novel by Georgette Heyer * ''The Toll Gate'', ...

Southern route (Sapporo JCT - Nanae IC)

Northern route (Sapporo JCT - Nayoro IC)

References

External links

East Nippon Expressway Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hokkaido Expressway Expressways in Japan Proposed roads in Japan Roads in Hokkaido Yakumo, Hokkaido