Tokyo Gaikan Expressway

Infobox_road
highway_name = Tokyo Gaikan Expressway (東京外環自動車道)
marker_



length = 33.7 km [cite web| url= http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/more_expressway/data/ | title= E-NEXCO Expressway Data | accessdate= 2008-04-13 ]
established = 1992
first_open =
starting_terminus = Tōmei Junction in Setagaya, Tokyo

cities = Wakō, Toda, Saitama, Kawaguchi, Sōka, Yashio, Misato
ending_terminus = Kōya Junction in Ichikawa, Chiba
The nihongo|Tokyo Gaikan Expressway|東京外環自動車道|Tōkyō Gaikan Jidōshadō is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Overview

The name Gaikan refers to the route's status as an outer ring road (beltway) for Tokyo. The expressway is also referred to simply as Gaikan for short. It is the 2nd out of 3 expressway ring routes in the greater Tokyo area; the innermost being the Central Circular Route of the Shuto Expressway and the outermost being the Ken-Ō Expressway.cite web| url= http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/3kanjo/history/index.htm | title= History of Tokyo's 3 Ring Roads |author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-17 ]

Currently only a section of the expressway on the northern side of the Tokyo area is open to traffic (Ōizumi Junction to Misato-minami Interchange). Most of this section is an elevated roadway built on the median of National Route 298 with curved windbreaks on both sides. Most of the roadway has two lanes in each direction (three lanes from Ōizumi Junction to Wakō-kita Interchange).

The eastern section is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in 2015, [cite web| url= http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/open_schedule/kanto/ | title= E-NEXCO Opening Schedule | accessdate= 2008-04-15 ] while the remaining western section is still in the planning stages. This section will pass though the densely populated suburbs of western Tokyo; it is expected that this section will consist mainly of tunnels constructed at least 40 m underground. [cite web| url= http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/gaikan/gaiyo/kouzo.html | title= Tokyo Gaikan Website |author= Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | accessdate= 2008-04-15 ]

The toll for a regular passenger car is currently 500 yen regardless of the distance travelled. Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) is accepted. [cite web| url= http://www.driveplaza.com/dp/SearchTop#search_map | title= E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Route Search | accessdate= 2008-04-15 ]

List of interchanges and features

* IC - interchange, JCT - junction, PA - parking area, BR - bridge, TB - toll gate

Gallery

References

External links

*ja icon [http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/ East Nippon Expressway Company]
*ja icon [http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/syuto/gaiyo/gaikan/02gaiyo.htm About the Gaikan (Chiba section)]
*ja icon [http://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/gaikan/index.html Tokyo Ring Step (Tokyo section)]