National Route 42 (国道42号, Kokudō yonjūni-gō), also called Kumano Kaidō or Tropical Route is a national highway connecting Hamamatsu, Shizuoka and Wakayama, Wakayama in Japan. Part of the route requires crossing Ise Bay on the Ise-wan Ferry.[2][3]
National Route 42 | ||||
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国道42号 | ||||
Route information | ||||
Length | 504.6 km[1] (313.5 mi) | |||
Existed | 1 April 1959–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
East end | National Route 1 in Hamamatsu | |||
West end | National Route 24 in Wakayama | |||
Location | ||||
Country | Japan | |||
Highway system | ||||
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It is the 8th longest national highway in Japan.
Route 42 was originally designated in January 1945 as a section of Route 41 (the Kumano Highway), which ran to Tokyo. This ran concurrent with Route 1 (now Route 1/Route 23). On 18 May 1953 Route 41 was classified as a Class 2 highway and redesignated as Route 170, which was later redesignated as Route 42 when the route was promoted to a Class 1 highway.