The Kamikita Expressway (上北自動車道 ''Kamikita Jidōshyadō'') is a free

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 ...

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, ...

connecting the towns of

Shichinohe is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,286, and a population density of 45 persons per km2, in 6,797 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Shichinohe is in central Aomori Pref ...

and

Rokunohe is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 10,994, and a population density of 130 persons per km², in 4,419 households. The total area of the town is Geography Rokunohe is in east-central Aomori P ...

. Alongside other tolled roads, the expressway is part of a series of highways that will link the

Hachinohe Expressway The is a 4-laned national Expressways of Japan, expressway in the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Iwate Prefecture, Iwate and Aomori Prefecture, Aomori in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is a spur of the Tōhoku Expressway, primarily serving ...

to 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 ...

. The road is managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and is numbered E4A as an extension 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 ...

. It is routed concurrently with an alternate route of

Japan National Route 45 is a national highway of Japan connecting Aoba-ku, Sendai and Aomori, Aomori. Alongside Japan National Route 6, it is a main route along the Pacific coast of eastern Japan. It is paralleled closely by the incomplete Sanriku Expressway between S ...

Route description

The Kamikita Expressway will be made up of three sections upon completion. The easternmost section, named Kamikita Road, begins at the Kamikita Expressway's eastern terminus. This terminus lies at Rokunohe Junction, where the free expressway has a junction with the

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 toll road in Aomori Prefecture that connects the towns Rokunohe and Oirase. The Daini-Michinoku Toll Road was designated in 1987 as pa ...

, a road tolled by the Aomori Prefecture Road Corporation. From this intersection, the expressway follows a northwestern heading through Rokunohe into the town, Tōhoku. In Tōhoku, the expressway meets Aomori Prefecture Route 211 at its former western terminus, Kamikita Interchange. West of this interchange lies the Kamikita-Tenmabayashi Road, a section of road that extends the route to its current western terminus with National Route 394. Beyond Route 394, the expressway is known as the Tenmabayashi Road, a section that is currently under construction. This section, once completed, will run to the expressway's future western terminus at National Route 4. The speed limit is 70 km/h for the entire route; however, during the winter the speed limit is reduced to 60 km/h. In 2015, the daily average of vehicles that traveled along the Kamikita Road section of the expressway was 3,884 between Rokunohe and Rokunohe-Misawa Interchange and 4,694 between Rokunohe-Misawa Interchange and Kamikita Interchange.

History

Kamikita Expressway 16 March 2019 Opening

The Kamikita Expressway was designated in 1987 as part of a single expressway running from the capital city of Aomori Prefecture,

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 ...

to the prefecture's second largest city,

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 ...

. The first section of the expressway opened in 2013, two years ahead of schedule. This section connects the

to Aomori Prefecture Route 211. On 27 November 2018, National Route 394 was rerouted as part of the expressway project to improve access at the junction between it and the expressway. On 8 February 2019, the interchanges that were set to open later that year were renamed from Kamikita 2 Interchange and Tenmabayashi 1 to Tōhoku Interchange and Shichinohe Interchange, respectively. The section between Route 211 and National Route 394 was opened on 16 March 2019 at 4:00 p.m. JST after festivities and a tape cutting ceremony.

Future

Currently, the expressway is under construction between National Route 394 and National Route 4, the goal date for completion of this project is 2022. The expressway is ultimately planned to connect to the

Shimokita Expressway The is a two-lane national expressway in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The expressway connects Noheji to the municipalities of Rokkasho, and Yokohama. It is owned and operated by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and ...

and 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 ...

Junction list

The entire expressway is in

References

External links