Ban-etsu Expressway

The Ban-etsu Expressway (磐越自動車道, Ban'etsu Jidōsha-dō) is a national expressway in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Ban-etsu Expressway
磐越自動車道
Route information
Length212.7 km[1] (132.2 mi)
Existed1990[2]–present
Major junctions
FromIwaki Junction in Iwaki, Fukushima
Jōban Expressway
ToNiigata-Chūō Interchange in Niigata, Niigata
Niigata Prefectural Route 16
Niigata Prefectural Route 290
Location
Major citiesTamura, Kōriyama, Motomiya, Aizuwakamatsu, Agano, Gosen
Highway system
National highways of Japan
Expressways of Japan

Naming

The name Ban-etsu (磐越) is a kanji acronym consisting of characters found in the former names of the provinces linked by the expressway. Iwaki Province (磐城) consists of the eastern part of present-day Fukushima Prefecture, and Echigo Province (越後) consists of present-day Niigata Prefecture.

Officially the expressway is referred to as the Tōhoku-Ōdan Expressway Iwaki Niigata Route.[3]

Overview
Kōriyama Junction

The route of the expressway connects the coastlines of the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea by traversing the mountainous interior of the Tōhoku region.

The expressway commences at a junction with the Jōban Expressway in Iwaki, Fukushima and follows a northwesterly course to the city of Kōriyama, where it intersects with the Tōhoku Expressway. The expressway continues its course through the historic Aizu region, with Mount Bandai viewable to the north and Lake Inawashiro viewable to the south. The route then enters Niigata Prefecture and eventually terminates at a junction in Niigata City with the Hokuriku Expressway and Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway.

The route parallels the East Ban'etsu Line and West Ban'etsu Line of East Japan Railway Company and National Route 49 for much of its length.

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1990 and the entire route was completed in 1997.[2] The route was originally 2 lanes only, one in each direction. However expansion to two lanes in each direction has proceeded gradually over the years. Expansion of the eastern half (between Iwaki Junction and Kōriyama Junction) was completed in 2009.[4]

Using the Ban-etsu and Hokuriku Expressway to travel between the Tōhoku and Kinki regions is shorter and cheaper than using expressways that traverse a route via the greater Tokyo urban area.[5]

All service areas along the route feature restaurants and shops (there are also shops at Gobyakugawa Parking Area). There are 24-hour gas stations at Abukumakōgen Service Area and Bandaisan Service Area. There is a 24-hour FamilyMart convenience store at Aganogawa Service Area (Niigata-bound only). Saiso Parking Area and Miharu Parking Area feature vending machines and toilets, while all other parking areas have only toilets.[6]

List of interchanges and features
No. Name Connections Dist. from
Origin		 Dist. from
Terminus		 Bus Stop Notes Speed Limit Lanes Location
(16-1) Iwaki JCT Jōban Expressway 0.0 212.7
80 km/h Four Iwaki Fukushima
TN Gōdo Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 383 m
Niigata-bound 373 m
1 Iwaki-Miwa IC National Route 49
Pref. Route 66 (Onahama Ono Route)		 8.8 203.9
TN Watato Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 1,136 m
Niigata-bound 1,131 m
PA Saiso PA 18.7 194.0
2 Ono IC/JCT Abukuma Kōgen Road
National Route 349		 35.2 177.5 ○ Ono
TN Shinkazakoshi Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound - 463 m
Niigata-bound - 538 m
Tamura
2-1 Tamura SIC National Route 349 44.7 168.0 ETC only
SA Abukumakōgen SA 46.8 165.9
3 Funehiki-Miharu IC National Route 288 55.7 157.0
PA Miharu PA 59.5 153.2
3-1 Kōriyama-higashi IC National Route 288 63.7 149.0 Kōriyama
(18-1) Kōriyama JCT Tōhoku Expressway 71.4 141.3
BR Gohyakugawa Bridge ↓ ↑ Length - 170 m
Motomiya
PA Gohyakugawa PA 76.5 136.2 Kōriyama
4 Bandaiatami IC Pref. Route 24 (Nakanosawa Atami Route) 79.6 133.1
TN Takatamahigashi Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 1,112 m
Niigata-bound 1,122 m
TN Takatamanishi Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 1,019 m
Niigata-bound 993 m
TN Shinnakayama Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 1,786 m
Niigata-bound 1,820 m
TN Kurateyama Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 1,648 m
Niigata-bound 1,669 m
Inawashiro
TN Sekito Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 1,443 m
Niigata-bound 1,488 m
5 Inawashiro Bandaikōgen IC National Route 115 97.6 115.1
SA Bandaisan SA 105.3 107.4 Bandai
6 Bandai Kawahigashi IC Pref. Route 64 (Aizuwakamatsu Urabandai Route) 111.5 101.2 Aizu-
wakamatsu
7 Aizuwakamatsu IC National Route 121 117.5 95.2
70 km/h Two
7-1
PA		 Niitsuru PA/SIC 124.7 88.0 SIC: ETC only Aizumisato
TN Nanaori Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 2,358 m Aizubange
8 Aizubange IC National Route 49
National Route 252		 132.4 80.3
BR Tadamigawa Bridge ↓ ↑ Length - 310 m
TN Tabanematsu Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 1,325 m
Nishiaizu
TN Toyasan Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 2,600 m
TN Nishiaizu Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 1,018 m
9/PA Nishiaizu IC/PA National Route 49
Pref. Route 16 (Kitakata Nishiaizu Route)		 143.8 68.9 ○
TN Nagasaka Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 736 m
TN Ryūgadake Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 3,659 m
TN Kuromoriyama Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 2,759 m
Aga Niigata
TN Koide Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 1,121 m
PA Kamikawa PA 162.6 50.1
10 Tsugawa IC Pref. Route 89 (Tsugawa Inter Route) 166.2 46.5 ○
TN Yakiyama Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 2,997 m
BS Mikawa Bus Stop 172.8 39.9 ○
11 Mikawa IC Pref. Route 587 (Mikawa Inter Route) 174.0 38.7
TN Yoshizu Tunnel ↓ ↑ Iwaki-bound 906 m
Niigata-bound 952 m
TN Nishiyama Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 2,402 m
TN Kumawatari Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 157 m
SA Aganogawa SA 181.0 31.7
TN Komatsu Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 200 m Agano
TN Hōshusan Tunnel ↓ ↑ Length - 611 m
12 Yasuda IC Pref. Route 41 (Shirone Yasuda Route) 188.9 23.8 ○
80 km/h Four
PA Gosen PA 191.2 21.5 Gosen
70 km/h Two
13 Niitsu IC Pref. Route 34 (Niitsu Teishajō Route)
National Route 460		 198.5 14.2 Akiha-ku, Niigata
BS Kawaguchi Bus Stop 202.2 10.5 ○
13-1 Niitsu-nishi SIC National Route 403 204.5 ETC only
Iwaki-bound exit, Niigata-bound entrance only
BS Sakaya Bus Stop 207.5 5.2 ○ Kōnan-ku, Niigata
PA Niigata PA 208.6 4.1
100 km/h Four
(42) Niigata-Chūō JCT Hokuriku Expressway
Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway		 211.9 0.8
14 Niigata-Chūō IC Pref. Route 16 (Niigata Kameda Uchino Route)
Pref. Route 290 (Sonoki Hitoichi Route)		 212.7 0.0
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References
  1. "E-NEXCO Expressway Data". Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  2. "Iwaki Times, October 3, 1997". Archived from the original on February 13, 2005. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  3. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "High Standard Trunk Road Map" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on September 20, 2011. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  4. "E-NEXCO Opening Schedule". Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  5. "E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Route Search". Archived from the original on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  6. "E-NEXCO Drive Plaza Service/Parking Area Search". Archived from the original on 16 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-15.

37°02′16″N 140°49′02″E Iwaki JCT 37°52′26″N 139°02′21″E Niigata-Chūō IC

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