ROADS in JAPAN

3-1 Arterial High-standard Highways

3-2 Metropolitan Ring Roads

3-3 Administrative Framework

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Highways in Metropolitan Areas

The metropolitan regions of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya represent a heavy concentration of population and industry and the areas surrounding these major cities are seeing rapid urbanization. In consequence, smooth flows of road traffic are not always fully ensured in the metropolitan regions. The Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation and the Hanshin Expressway Public Corporation were established in The Tokyo metropolitan area in 1959 and The Kinki area in 1962 respectively, and have contributed to healthy urban activities and restructuring of urban structures, developing networks of 283km and 234km respectively by the end of FY2004. It is necessary to promote the creation of a functional road network through the improvement of ring roads to eliminate transit traffic through urban areas and also disperse incoming traffic to urban centers.

Minatomachi Junction, Hanshin Exxpressway

Three Ring Roads of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the “3 Rings and 9 Radials” plan was incorporated in the 5th 5-year Road Improvement Program in 1967. Approximately 40 years has passed since then, most of the 9 Radials have been completed, and the focus is being shifted to the development of 3 Rings where many missing linkages still exist.

Three Ring Roads