Ban-etsu Expressway

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Ban-etsu Expressway
磐越自動車道
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Route information
Length	212.7 km[1] (132.2 mi)
Existed	1990[2]–present
Major junctions
From	in Iwaki, Fukushima Jōban Expressway
To	in Niigata, Niigata Niigata Prefectural Route 16 Niigata Prefectural Route 290
Location
Major cities	Tamura, Kōriyama, Motomiya, Aizuwakamatsu, Agano, Gosen
Highway system
National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan

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.

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[]

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 ) 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 ). There are 24-hour gas stations at and . There is a 24-hour FamilyMart convenience store at (Niigata-bound only). and feature vending machines and toilets, while all other parking areas have only toilets.^[6]

List of interchanges and features[]

• IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, TN - tunnel, BR - bridge

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Dist. from Terminus	Bus Stop	Notes	Speed Limit	Lanes	Location
(16-1)		Jōban Expressway	0.0	212.7
							80 km/h	Four	Iwaki	Fukushima
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 383 m Niigata-bound 373 m
1		National Route 49 Pref. Route 66 (Onahama Ono Route)	8.8	203.9
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 1,136 m Niigata-bound 1,131 m
PA			18.7	194.0
2		Abukuma Kōgen Road National Route 349	35.2	177.5	○				Ono
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound - 463 m Niigata-bound - 538 m
									Tamura
2-1		National Route 349	44.7	168.0		ETC only
SA			46.8	165.9
3		National Route 288	55.7	157.0
PA			59.5	153.2					Miharu
3-1		National Route 288	63.7	149.0					Kōriyama
(18-1)		Tōhoku Expressway	71.4	141.3
BR			↓	↑		Length - 170 m
									Motomiya
PA			76.5	136.2					Kōriyama
4		Pref. Route 24 (Nakanosawa Atami Route)	79.6	133.1
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 1,112 m Niigata-bound 1,122 m
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 1,019 m Niigata-bound 993 m
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 1,786 m Niigata-bound 1,820 m
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 1,648 m Niigata-bound 1,669 m
									Inawashiro
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 1,443 m Niigata-bound 1,488 m
5		National Route 115	97.6	115.1
SA			105.3	107.4					Bandai
6		Pref. Route 64 (Aizuwakamatsu Urabandai Route)	111.5	101.2					Aizu- wakamatsu
7		National Route 121	117.5	95.2
							70 km/h	Two
7-1 PA			124.7	88.0		SIC: ETC only			Aizumisato
TN			↓	↑		Length - 2,358 m			Aizubange
8		National Route 49 National Route 252	132.4	80.3
BR			↓	↑		Length - 310 m
TN			↓	↑		Length - 1,325 m
									Nishiaizu
TN			↓	↑		Length - 2,600 m
TN			↓	↑		Length - 1,018 m
9/PA	/	National Route 49 Pref. Route 16 (Kitakata Nishiaizu Route)	143.8	68.9	○
TN			↓	↑		Length - 736 m
TN			↓	↑		Length - 3,659 m
TN			↓	↑		Length - 2,759 m
									Aga	Niigata
TN			↓	↑		Length - 1,121 m
PA			162.6	50.1
10		Pref. Route 89 (Tsugawa Inter Route)	166.2	46.5	○
TN			↓	↑		Length - 2,997 m
BS			172.8	39.9	○
11		Pref. Route 587 (Mikawa Inter Route)	174.0	38.7
TN			↓	↑		Iwaki-bound 906 m Niigata-bound 952 m
TN			↓	↑		Length - 2,402 m
TN			↓	↑		Length - 157 m
SA			181.0	31.7
TN			↓	↑		Length - 200 m			Agano
TN			↓	↑		Length - 611 m
12		Pref. Route 41 (Shirone Yasuda Route)	188.9	23.8	○
							80 km/h	Four
PA			191.2	21.5					Gosen
							70 km/h	Two
13		Pref. Route 34 (Niitsu Teishajō Route) National Route 460	198.5	14.2					Akiha-ku, Niigata
BS			202.2	10.5	○
13-1		National Route 403	204.5			ETC only Iwaki-bound exit, Niigata-bound entrance only
BS			207.5	5.2	○				Kōnan-ku, Niigata
PA			208.6	4.1
							100 km/h	Four
(42)		Hokuriku Expressway Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway	211.9	0.8
14		Pref. Route 16 (Niigata Kameda Uchino Route) Pref. Route 290 (Sonoki Hitoichi Route)	212.7	0.0

References[]

External links[]

• (in Japanese) East Nippon Expressway Company
• (in Japanese) JAF Drive Map

37°02′16″N 140°49′02″E / 37.037744°N 140.817292°E / 37.037744; 140.817292 Iwaki JCT

 WikiMiniAtlas

37°52′26″N 139°02′21″E / 37.873871°N 139.039028°E / 37.873871; 139.039028 Niigata-Chūō IC