Tokyo Gaikan Expressway

Summary

The 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.

Tokyo-Gaikan Expressway sign
Tokyo-Gaikan Expressway
C3 東京外環自動車道
Map
Route information
Length33.7 km[2] (20.9 mi)
Existed1992[1]–present
Major junctions
FromTōmei Junction in Setagaya, Tokyo
Tōmei Expressway
(planned)
Ōizumi Junction in Nerima, Tokyo (current)
ToKōya Junction in Ichikawa, Chiba
Higashi-Kantō Expressway
Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route
Location
CountryJapan
Major citiesWakō, Toda, Saitama, Kawaguchi, Sōka, Yashio, Misato
Highway system

Overview edit

 
Tokyo Gaikan Expressway at Misato Junction where it crosses the Jōban Expressway.

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 second of three expressway ring routes in the greater Tokyo area: the innermost is the Central Circular Route, then the Gaikan, and the outermost is the Ken-Ō Expressway.[1] The Inner Circular Route of the Shuto Expressway is apparently not considered a true ring road, as the alternate Japanese name of the Ken-Ō Expressway (English name is Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway) is 三環状道路, with the first character meaning 'three' not 'four.' A section of the expressway on the northern side of the Tokyo area was the first to 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 from Misato to Ichikawa was opened to the public on 2 June 2018, three years after schedule.[3] The western section from Izumi to the Chuo expressway is under construction, while the final section linking to the Tomei expressway is still at the planning stage.[4] The western section will pass through the densely populated suburbs of western Tokyo; large parts of it will consist of tunnels constructed at least 40 m underground (deep underground).[5]

The toll for a regular passenger car is currently 500 yen regardless of the distance travelled. Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) is accepted.[6]

List of interchanges and features edit

PrefectureLocationkmmiExitNameDestinationsNotes
16.2 km section under construction, planned connection to   Tōmei Expressway
TokyoNerima0.00.050ŌizumiTokyo Metropolitan Route 24 (Nerima Tokorozawa Route)
  Kan-etsu Expressway north
Current western terminus
SaitamaWakō3.42.151WakōSaitama Prefecture Route 88 (Wakō Inter Route)
5.33.352Wakō-kita  National Route 298No through access between exit and PA
5.33.3PANiikuraU-turns possible
Wakō / Toda borderSakitama Bridge
Toda7.64.753Toda-nishi  National Route 298Misato-bound exit, Ōizumi-bound entrance only
8.55.360Bijogi  Ikebukuro Route
  Ōmiya Route
Controlled by traffic lights
9.96.261Toda-higashi  National Route 298Ōizumi-bound exit, Misato-bound entrance only
Kawaguchi12.37.662Gaikan Urawa  National Route 298Ōizumi-bound exit, Misato-bound entrance only
14.08.763Kawaguchi-nishi  National Route 298Misato-bound exit, Ōizumi-bound entrance only
16.810.464Kawaguchi-Chūō  National Route 298Ōizumi-bound exit, Misato-bound entrance only
17.610.970Kawaguchi  Tōhoku Expressway north
  Kawaguchi Route south
19.011.871Kawaguchi-higashi  National Route 298Ōizumi-bound exit, Misato-bound entrance only
Sōka22.413.972Sōka  National Route 298
  National Route 4
Yashio73 / PAYashio  National Route 4Planned
Misato28.417.674Gaikan Misato-nishi  National Route 298Misato-bound exit, Ōizumi-bound entrance only
29.618.480Misato  Jōban Expressway
  Misato Route
31.019.381 / TBMisato-Chūō  National Route 298Ōizumi-bound exit, Kōya-bound entrance only
33.720.982Misato-minami  National Route 298Kōya-bound exit, Ōizumi-bound entrance only
ChibaMatsudo39.124.383Matsudo  National Route 298Ōizumi-bound exit, Kōya-bound entrance only
Ichikawa40.124.984Kita-Chiba  National Route 464 (Kita-Chiba Road)Planned
41.325.785Ichikawa-kita  National Route 298
Chiba Prefecture Route 264 (Takatsuka Shinden Ichikawa Route)
Kōya-bound exit, Ōizumi-bound entrance only
44.727.886Ichikawa-Chūō  National Route 298Ōizumi-bound exit, Kōya-bound entrance only
45.928.590Keiyō  Keiyō Road
47.629.691Ichikawa-minami  National Route 298Kōya-bound exit, Ōizumi-bound entrance only
49.230.6100Kōya  Higashi-Kantō Expressway
  Bayshore Route
Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "History of Tokyo's 3 Ring Roads". Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  2. ^ "E-NEXCO Expressway Data". Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  3. ^ "E-NEXCO Opening Schedule". Retrieved 15 April 2008.
  4. ^ "E-NEXCO Opening Schedule". Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  5. ^ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "Tokyo Gaikan Website". Retrieved 15 April 2008.
  6. ^ "E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Route Search". Retrieved 15 April 2008.

External links edit

  • (in Japanese) East Nippon Expressway Company
  • (in Japanese) About the Gaikan (Chiba section)
  • (in Japanese) Tokyo Ring Step (Tokyo section)