In Japan, the carries National Route 2 under the

Kanmon Straits The or the Straits of Shimonoseki is the stretch of water separating Honshu and Kyushu, two of Japan's four main islands. On the Honshu side of the strait is Shimonoseki (, which contributed "Kan" () to the name of the strait) and on the Kyushu ...

. At the time of its construction, it was the longest undersea highway in the world. "Kanmon Undersea Tunnel Opened"
''Japan Report'' March 5, 1958, p. 8 It opened in 1958. The overall length is meters, and it is below sea level at the deepest point. The endpoints are in

Shimonoseki is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. With a population of 265,684, it is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region. It is located at the southwestern tip of Honshu facing the Tsushim ...

, Yamaguchi and Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū. According to a United Press report at the time, 53 workers were killed during its construction, and it was second only to the

Mersey Railway The Mersey Railway was the first part of the passenger railway connecting the communities of Liverpool, Birkenhead, and now the rest of the Wirral Peninsula in England, which lie on opposite banks of the River Mersey, via the Mersey Railway Tun ...

tunnel in length for an underwater tunnel. "Japanese Tunnel Open— Vehicle and Pedestrian Tube Links Two Main Islands", ''The New York Times'', March 10, 1958, p. 8 Work on the Kanmon Roadway Tunnel began in 1937, but was halted in 1939 by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Work resumed in 1952, and the tunnel was officially opened on March 9, 1958. The event was marked by a Japanese

commemorative postage stamp A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp, often issued on a significant date such as an anniversary, to honor or commemorate a place, event, person, or object. The ''subject'' of the commemorative stamp is usually spelled out in print, unlike de ...

. Major repairs were conducted in 2008. Under terms of Article 46.3 of Road Act, driving by vehicles that carry

dangerous goods Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

are either prohibited or limited strictly.

Coordinates

* Shimonoseki entrance for cars: * Shimonoseki entrance for pedestrians and bicycles: * Moji entrance for cars: * Moji entrance for pedestrians and bicycles:

References

{{West Nippon Expressway Company Road tunnels in Japan Undersea tunnels in Asia Roads in Yamaguchi Prefecture Roads in Fukuoka Prefecture

Coordinates

See also

References