The is a 4-laned 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 ...

in the

prefectures A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

of Iwate and

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 ...

in the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (''ken''): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a ...

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 a spur 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 ...

, primarily serving the city of

Hachinohe is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 221,459, and a population density of 725 persons per km2 in 96,092 households, making it Aomori Prefecture's second largest city by population. The city h ...

. Signed as E4A, 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 ...

Route description

The expressway is officially referred to as the Tōhoku Jūkan Expressway Hachinohe Route. The route connects the city of

with the

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...

. From the terminus at Hachinohe-kita Interchange, there are plans to extend the route northward to the terminus of the

Aomori Expressway The is a two-lane national expressway spur route in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company and is signed E4A as a direct extension and spur route of the Tōhoku Expressway. Route descrip ...

through 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 ...

History

The Hachinohe Expressway was opened on November 27, 1986, with the Momoishi Extension to the

Second Michinoku Toll Road The Daini-Michinoku Toll Road (第二みちのく有料道路 ''Daini Michinoku Yūryōdōro'') is a two-lane toll road in Aomori Prefecture that connects the towns Rokunohe and Oirase. The Daini-Michinoku Toll Road was designated in 1987 as par ...

opening later in 1995. After the

Great East Japan Earthquake Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

the expressway was made free to use temporarily for those who were impacted by the disaster. Tolls resumed in March 2012.

Future

Starting at the Momoishi Road Extension, the expressway is planned to be extended north and west to connect with the Aomori Expressway and the northern terminus of the Tōhoku Expressway at the

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 ...

. This will be done by linking existing roads, such as 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 ...

and

Daini-Michinoku Toll Road The Daini-Michinoku Toll Road (第二みちのく有料道路 ''Daini Michinoku Yūryōdōro'') is a two-lane expressway, two-lane toll road in Aomori Prefecture that connects the towns Rokunohe, Aomori, Rokunohe and Oirase, Aomori, Oirase. The D ...

, and the completion of the

Kamikita Expressway The Kamikita Expressway (上北自動車道 ''Kamikita Jidōshyadō'') is a free two-lane expressway in Aomori Prefecture connecting the towns of Shichinohe and Rokunohe. Alongside other tolled roads, the expressway is part of a series of highwa ...

between them.

Junction list

Distance markers are a continuation of the distance from the southern terminus of the Tōhoku Expressway at Kawaguchi Junction, beginning with 563.3 at Ashiro Junction and increasing as one travels north from there. *SA -

service area Service area may refer to: * Rest area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary 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 ...

Main Route

Branch route

This branch is in entirely in

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, ...

. , colspan="8" style="text-align: center;", Through to , colspan="8" style="text-align: center;", Through to

Momoishi Road Extension

The Momoishi Toll Road is the first of many extensions of the Hachinohe Expressway that travel northbound towards Aomori. The toll road is a

two-lane expressway A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes ris ...

that is maintained and tolled by the

; however, drivers continuing north to the

are tolled by the Aomori Prefecture Road Corporation which does not accept ETC payment, while drivers coming from that toll road to the Momoishi Road can use ETC payment.

References

Explanatory notes Citations

External links

*
East Nippon Expressway Company
{{coord missing, Japan Expressways in Japan Tōhoku Expressway Roads in Aomori Prefecture Roads in Iwate Prefecture 1986 establishments in Japan