The Shimokita Expressway ( 下北半島縦貫道路 , Shimokita Hantō Jūkandōro ) is a two-lane national expressway in Aomori Prefecture , Japan . The expressway connects Noheji to the municipalities of Rokkasho , and Yokohama . It is owned and operated by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and is signed as an auxiliary route of National Route 279 , but has no expressway number under their "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering."
16-625: The southern terminus of the Shimokita Expressway is at a signaled intersection with National Route 4 in Tōhoku . From here, the expressway immediately loops from a western heading to the northeastern one. Along the short loop it crosses into Noheji, back into Tōhoku, then into Noheji once more after crossing over National Route 4. The expressway then crosses over the Aoimori Railway Line and proceeds north. From Noheji heading north through
32-549: A junction with the Kamikita Expressway and Michinoku Toll Road . On 11 January 2019, the governor of Aomori Prefecture, Shingo Mimura requested the Liberal Democratic Party 's help in providing funding for the section between Noheji and Shichinohe. MLIT announced later in 2019 that the section between Noheji and Shichinohe will be evaluated to determine if the expressway should be extended. The entire expressway
48-715: Is in Aomori Prefecture . Japan National Route 4 National Route 4 ( 国道4号 , Kokudō Yongō ) is a major national highway in eastern Honshū , Japan. Measuring 738.5 kilometers long (458.9 mi), it is the longest highway in the country. When oversea routes are included, it is the second longest highway in Japan, with National Route 58 then measuring 884.4 kilometers (549.5 mi) because of its maritime sections. The highway connects Tokyo and Aomori via Utsunomiya , Kōriyama , Sendai , and Morioka . From Saitama Prefecture to Iwate Prefecture , it parallels
64-689: The Matsumaedō (松前道) connected Sendai with Cape Tappi and indirectly to Hakodate on the southern shore of Hokkaido on the Tsugaru Strait . Though the Ōshū Kaidō has only 27 post stations, there were over 100 designated post stations when the subroutes are included. Some sections and markers of the Ōshū Kaidō in their original state can still be found alongside National Route 4, the Hachinohe Expressway , and Tōhoku Expressway . On 4 December 1952 First Class National Highway 4 (from Tokyo to Aomori)
80-524: The Shimokita Peninsula , the expressway parallels the mainline of National Route 279. After a couple of interchanges, the expressway enters the village, Rokkasho. The expressway's importance in the village is critical due to the presence of multiple nuclear facilities . The expressway heads northeast while in Rokkasho. It crosses into the town of Yokohama where it meets its temporary northern terminus at
96-574: The Tōhoku Expressway ; from Morioka to Hachinohe , it parallels the Hachinohe Expressway . At its northern terminus it links with National Route 7 . The southern terminus of National Route 4 lies at Nihonbashi , the kilometer zero of Japan in Chūō, Tokyo . The marker here signifies the terminus of national highways including National Route 1 , National Route 6 , National Route 14 , National Route 15 , National Route 17 , and National Route 20 . Of
112-609: The five routes of the Edo period . They were established by Tokugawa Ieyasu for government officials traveling through the area to connect Edo (modern-day Tokyo) with Mutsu Province and the present-day city of Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. There were also many roads that connected to the Ōshū Kaidō that are included in National Route 4. One such sub-route was the Sendaidō (仙台道), which connected Mutsu Province with Sendai. From Sendai,
128-631: The Edo-dōri concurrency with National Routes 6 and 14. Traveling north along Showa-dōri, National Route 4 serves as a frontage road to the Ueno Route of the Shuto Expressway system between Chūō and Taitō . The Ueno Route merges in to National Route 4 just to the northeast of Ueno Station . The highway then crosses over the Sumida River into Adachi . From the northern side of the river to Utsunomiya ,
144-424: The Shimokita Expressway to be extended from both its northern terminus at Fukkoshi Interchange and its southern terminus at Noheji Interchange. From Fukkoshi, the expressway is to be extended 36.1 kilometers (22.4 mi) to Mutsu Interchange in the city of Mutsu in the northern part of Aomori. As of January 2018, some of this section is under construction. From Noheji Interchange, the expressway will be extended to
160-451: The city of Niigata (the capital of Niigata Prefecture ), where it meets National Routes 7 , 8 , 49 , 113 and 116 ). National Route 17 measures 350.3 km in length. It incorporates parts of two ancient highways, the Nakasendō and Mikuni Kaidō . The newer Kan-Etsu Expressway parallels National Route 17. In addition to Chūō, National Route 17 passes through Itabashi . It links
176-464: The expressway was extended south to the current southern terminus at Noheji Interchange. On 13 November 2012 the expressway was extended north from Noheji-kita to Rokkasho Interchange. On 15 November 2017, the expressway opened to traffic between Rokkasho Interchange and Fukkoshi Interchange. On 23 December 2019, the first section of the expressway in Mutsu opened. The government of Aomori Prefecture plans for
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#1733085140614192-772: The highway is known as the Nikkō Kaidō . In the ward the highway crosses beneath the Central Circular Route of the Shuto Expressway system, with an interchange with the expressway's frontage road. National Route 4 travels north through Adachi, roughly paralleling the Tobu Skytree Line . It then curves to the northwest, crossing over the Kena River into the city of Sōka in Saitama Prefecture . National Route 4
208-416: The main line of National Route 279. While the expressway primarily has only one lane traveling in each direction, short passing lanes are available near Noheji-kimyo, Noheji-kita, and Rokkasho interchanges. Planning began of the route commenced on 16 December 16, 1994. On 26 November 2004, the first section of the expressway opened to traffic between Noheji-half and Noheji-kita Interchanges. On 2 December 2005
224-405: The mentioned highways, three travel concurrently with National Route 4 from Nihonbashi: National Routes 6, 14, and 17. Just north of the starting point, National Route 17 leaves the concurrency continuing north while National Route 4, along with National Routes 6 and 14, turn east on to Edo-dōri. Three blocks from there Edo-dōri intersects Shōwa-dōri. National Route 4 turns on to Shōwa-dōri leaving
240-457: Was established. The route was reclassified as a General National Highway on 1 April 1965. During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake many sections of the route in the Tōhoku area were damaged. Japan National Route 17 National Route 17 ( 国道17号 , Kokudō Jū-nana-gō ) is a highway on the island of Honshu in Japan. It originates at Nihonbashi in Chūō, Tokyo , and terminates in
256-586: Was preceded by the Tōsandō , a road initially established during the Asuka period as a road linking Kinai (now Kyoto and Nara ) to what is now the vicinity of Morioka, Iwate . The portion of the Tōsandō that was later incorporated into National Route 4 lies between Tochigi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture. The next development of the route came along with the creation of the Ōshū Kaidō (奥州街道) and Nikkō Kaidō (日光街道) as two of
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