Dōtō Expressway

Dōtō Expressway
道東自動車道
Route information
Length:	258.0 km[2] (160.3 mi)
Existed:	1995[1] – present
Major junctions
From:	Chitose-Eniwa Junction in Chitose, Hokkaidō Hokkaidō Expressway
To:	Kushiro, Hokkaidō Kitami, Hokkaidō
Location
Major cities:	Yūbari, Obihiro
Highway system
National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan

The Dōtō Expressway (道東自動車道, Dōtō Jidōsha-dō^?) (lit. East Hokkaidō Expressway) is a 2-laned national expressway in Hokkaidō, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Overview

The expressway is connects the east of Hokkaidō with central regions including the greater Sapporo urban area.^[3]

At Honbetsu Junction near the eastern end the expressway splits into two routes; one route heading east towards the city of Kushiro and another route heading north towards the city of Kitami. All future extensions of these two routes will be constructed according to the New Direct Control System^[3] and are expected to operate toll-free upon completion.

The expressway is among the least used in Japan. At the time of its opening it was used by an average of only 650 vehicles a day, the lowest among all national expressways in Japan.^[1] As of 2006 the average daily ridership of the expressway has increased to 4,751 vehicles (for comparison the figure for the Tōhoku Expressway is 270,546 vehicles).^[2]

The speed limit is 70 km/h for the entire route.

List of interchanges and features

• IC - interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, TN - tunnel, TB - toll gate

Kushiro Route

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Notes	Location (all in Hokkaidō)
(4-1)	Chitose-Eniwa JCT	Hokkaidō Expressway	0.0		Chitose
1	Chitose-higashi IC	National Route 337	12.6
PA	Kiusu PA		14.5
2	Oiwakechō IC	National Route 234	21.9		Abira
PA	Yuni PA		29.3		Yuni
3	Yūbari IC	National Route 274	42.1		Yūbari
4	Mukawa Hobetsu IC	Pref. Route 1165 (Hobetsu Inter Route)	56.5		Mukawa
TN	Hobetsu Tunnel			Length - 4,332 m
5	Shimukappu IC	Pref. Route 1172 (Shimukappu Inter Route)	76.6		Shimukappu
PA	Shimukappu PA		80.0
6	Tomamu IC	Pref. Route 1170 (Tomamu Inter Route)	102.8
TN	Daiichi Karikachi Tunnel			Point of highest elevation among all expressways in Hokkaidō (626 m) Length - 2,351 m	Minamifurano
-	Shintoku IC			Planned	Shintoku
7	Tokachi Shimizu IC	National Route 274	123.7		Shimizu
SA	Tokachiheigen SA		138.6		Memuro
8	Memuro IC	Pref. Route 54 (Higashiurimaku Memuro Route)	140.9
9	Obihiro JCT	Obihiro-Hiroo Expressway	145.3
10	Otofuke Obihiro IC	National Route 241 (Obihiro Kita Bypass)	152.4		Otofuke
PA	Osarushi PA		165.5
11	Ikeda IC	National Route 242	174.0		Ikeda
TB	Ikeda Toll Gate
12	Honbetsu JCT	Kitami Route	191.2	No access: Ashoro IC ←→ Honbetsu IC	Honbetsu
13	Honbetsu IC	National Route 242	193.0
14	Urahoro IC	National Route 274	201.0		Urahoro
<TN>	Sensho Tunnel			Opens in 2015 Length - 4,460 m
					Shiranuka
-	Shiranuka IC	National Route 392		Opens in 2015
-	Akan IC	National Route 240		Opens in 2015	Kushiro
-	Kushiro Airport IC	Pref. Route 65 (Kushiro Airport Route)		Planned
-	Kushiro IC	National Route 38 (Kushiro Shindō)		Opens in 2015
Through to Kushiro Sotokanjō Road (Planned)

Kitami Route

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Notes	Location (all in Hokkaidō)
12	Honbetsu JCT	Kushiro Route	191.2	No access: Ashoro IC ←→ Honbetsu IC	Honbetsu
1	Ashoro IC	National Route 242	204.4		Ashoro
-	Rikubetsu IC			Planned	Rikubetsu
-	Shōtoshibetsu IC			Planned
-	Kunneppu IC			Opens in 2014	Kunneppu
-	Kitami IC				Kitami
Through to Kitami Road (Planned)

History

• October 30, 1995 - Tokachi Shimizu Interchange - Ikeda Interchange section opened.
• October 7, 1999 - Chitose-Eniwa Junction - Yūbari Interchange section opened.
• March 15, 2003 - Obihiro Junction is opened, connecting with the Obihiro-Hiroo Expressway.
• June 8, 2003 - Ikeda Interchange - Honbetsu Interchange section and Honbetsu Junction - Ashoro Interchange section opened.
• October 21, 2007 - Tomamu Interchange - Tokachi Shimizu Interchange section opened.
• October 24, 2009 - Shimukappu Interchange - Tomamu Interchange section opened.
• October 29, 2011 - Yubari Interchange - Shimukappu Interchange section opened.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Hokkaido Keizai Sangyo Shimbun, October 22, 2007". http://dokei.net/conts.php?nid=315. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "E-NEXCO Expressway Data". http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/more_expressway/data/. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "E-NEXCO Opening Schedule". http://www.e-nexco.co.jp/open_schedule/hokkaido/. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 

External links

• (Japanese) East Nippon Expressway Company