The is one of the

expressways of Japan The of Japan make up a large network of controlled-access toll expressways. History Following World War II, Japan's economic revival led to a massive increase in personal automobile use. However the existing road system was inadequate t ...

which goes from

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

to Takeo running through the prefecture of Saga and the northern half of the Nagasaki prefecture. The total length is 150 km. Part of the road is specified as Route 497. This road has two toll zones. The Fukuoka and Maebaru toll zone is managed by Fukuoka Prefectural Road Public Corporation. The Takeo and Sasebo toll zone is managed by

West Nippon Expressway Company The , abbreviated as , is one of the main operators of expressways and toll roads in Japan. It is headquartered on the 19th floor of Dojima Avanza in Kita-ku, Osaka. The company was established on October 1, 2005, as a result of the privatization o ...

. The other roadway is managed by

MLIT The , abbreviated MLIT, is a ministry of the Japanese government.国土交通省設置法

. This road is connected to

Fukuoka Expressway Circular Route The , also commonly known as the Circle Route, is a route of the Fukuoka Expressway system serving Fukuoka–Kitakyushu. The route runs through the city of Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Y ...

Nishi-ku, Fukuoka is one of the seven wards of Fukuoka City, Japan. Meaning literally "west ward," it is bordered to the east by Sawara-ku, and to the west by Itoshima. As of 2003, it has a population of 173,813 people and an area of 83.81 km2. As of 2016, it ...

, and to

Nagasaki Expressway is one of the Expressways of Japan from Tosu to Nagasaki. It runs through the prefecture of Saga, and the southern half of the Nagasaki prefecture. The total length is 120.4 km. History * November 16, 1973, Tosu Interchange and Junction ...

in Takeo. From Nijō to Nijō Shika Interchange this expressway overlaps a section of Nijō Hamatama road.

Overview

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1988. As of April 2016 the expressway was incomplete in many areas. The next sections were scheduled to open in 2017 ( Minamihata Taniguchi Interchange to Imari Higashi Interchange) and ( Imabuku Interchange to Tsukinokawa Interchange). After this, most of the incomplete areas were to be built according to the New Direct Control System, whereby the burden for construction costs will be shared by the national and local governments and no tolls were to be collected. Currently the section between Nijō Shikaka Interchange and Minamihata Taniguchi Interchange, Yamashiro Kubara Interchange and Imabuku Interchange, and Saza Interchange and Sasebo Daitō Interchange operates according to this principle. The expressway is four lanes wide from Fukushige Junction to Higashi Intersection (temporary interchange) and Saza Interchange to Sasebo Chūō Interchange, and two lanes for all remaining sections.

History

* March 24, 1988, a section from Sasebo Daitō to Hasami Arita Interchanges was opened to traffic. * November 30, 1989, a section from Hasami Arita to Takeo Minami Interchange was opened to traffic. * January 26, 1990, a section from Takeo Minami Interchange to Takeo Junction was opened to traffic with another freeway. * March 26, 1993, a section from Susenji Interchange to Higashi Intersection (temporary interchange) was opened to traffic. * April 17, 1998, a section from Sasebo Minato to Sasebo Daitō Interchange was opened to traffic. * September 26, 1998, a section from Jyūrokuchō to Susenji Interchanges was opened to traffic. * October 13, 2001, a section from Fukushige Junction to Jyūrokuchō Interchange was opened to traffic with another freeway. * November 2003, a section from Fukushige Junction to Maebaru Interchange which made with four lanes. * December 18, 2005, a section from Hamatama to Karatsu Interchange was opened to traffic. * December 12, 2009, a section from Nijō Shikaka to Hamatama Interchange was opened to traffic with another freeway. * March 20, 2010, a section from Ainoura Nakazato to Sasebo Minato Interchanges was opened to traffic. * February 26, 2011, a section from Fukushige Junction to the east was opened with other freeway. * September 13, 2011, a section from Saza to Ainoura Nakazato Interchange was opened to traffic. * March 24, 2012, a section from Karatsu to Karatsu Chichika Yamada Interchange was opened to traffic. * March 23, 2013, a section from Karatsu Chichika Yamada to Kitahata Interchange was opened to traffic. * February 1, 2015, a section from Kitahata to Minamihata Taniguchi Interchange was opened to traffic. * March 14, 2015, a section from Yamashiro Kubara to Imabuku Interchange was opened to traffic. * November 5, 2017, a section from Imabuku to Tsukinokawa Interchange was opened to traffic. * March 31, 2018, a section from Minamihata Taniguchi to Imari Higashi Interchange was opened to traffic. * December 15, 2018, a section from Tsukinokawa to Matsuura Interchange was opened to traffic.

Interchanges

* IC - interchange, 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 ...

, 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 ...

, TN -

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

, BR -

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

, 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'', ...

* Bus stops labeled "○" are currently in use; those marked "◆" are closed. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nishikyushu Expressway Expressways in Japan Kyushu region Roads in Fukuoka Prefecture Roads in Nagasaki Prefecture Roads in Saga Prefecture