Chūgoku Expressway

The Chūgoku Expressway (中国自動車道, Chūgoku Jidōsha-dō) (part of Asian Highway Network AH1) is an expressway in Japan, which extends from Suita, Osaka to Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. It connects Kansai and Chūgoku regions in western Honshu, Japan's main island. Other major cities along the expressway are Tsuyama, Kobe, and Hiroshima. It was opened in 1970, and has a total length of 540.1 kilometers (335.6 mi).

Chūgoku Expressway sign
Chūgoku Expressway
E2A 中国自動車道
Route information
Part of AH1
Length540.1 km (335.6 mi)
Existed1970–present
Major junctions
FromSuita Junction in Suita, Osaka
Meishin Expressway
Kinki Expressway
ToShimonoseki Interchange in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
Kyushu Expressway
Location
CountryJapan
Major citiesTakarazuka, Kobe, Tsuyama, Niimi, Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi
Highway system
Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan
Sayo, Hyōgo, Japan
Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan

It is connected with many other expressways, including the Meishin Expressway at Suita Junction and Kanmon Bridge at Shimonoseki Interchange through to the Kyushu Expressway.

List of interchanges and features
Number Name Connections Distance from Origin (km) Bus Stop Notes Location
(35) Suita JCT Meishin Expressway
Kinki Expressway		 0.0 Chugoku Expwy←→Nishinomiya: no access Suita Osaka
1 Chūgoku-Suita IC Osaka Prefectural Route 2
(Osaka Chūō Loop Road)		 1.0 eastbound exit, westbound entrance
2 Chūgoku-Toyonaka IC Osaka Prefectural Route 2
(Osaka Chūō Loop Road)		 8.3 westbound exit, eastbound entrance Toyonaka
Chūgoku-Ikeda IC National Route 176 (Bypass) 10.5 eastbound exit, westbound entrance Ikeda
3 Takarazuka IC National Route 176 (Bypass)
Hyōgo Prefectural Route 42		 16.6 ○ Takarazuka Hyōgo
- Takarazuka-Higashi Tunnel - 18.3
- Takarazuka-Nishi Tunnel - 20.1
- Nishinomiya-Najio SA - 24.1 ◆ Nishinomiya
4 Nishinomiya-Yamaguchi JCT Kita-Kobe Route 27.1 westbound exit, eastbound entrance
5 Nishinomiya-Kita IC Hyōgo Prefectural Route 82 29.8 ○
5-1 Kobe JCT Shin-Meishin Expressway
Sanyō Expressway		 31.6 for Shin-Meishin Expwy:opening in 2017 Kita-ku, Kobe
- Nagao BS - 33.6 ○
5-2 Kobe Sanda IC Rokko-Kita Road 36.7
- Akamatsu PA - 38.4
6 Yokawa JCT Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway 40.3 Miki
7 Yokawa IC National Route 428
Hyōgo Prefectural Route 17		 43.7 ○
7-1 Hyōgo-Tōjō IC Hyōgo Prefectural Route 91
Hyōgo Prefectural Route 313		 47.7 Katō
- Tōjō BS - 49.7 ○
- Yashiro PA - 55.8 ○
8 Takino-Yashiro IC National Route 175 (Yashiro Bypass)
Hyōgo Prefectural Route 17		 59.4 ○
- Izumi BS - 66.6 ○ Kasai
8-1 Kasai IC Hyōgo Prefectural Route 24 69.1 ○
- Hōjō BS - 72.2 ○
- Kasai PA - 75.6
Fukusaki
9 Fukusaki IC Bantan Renraku Road 79.2 ○
9-1 Yumesaki BS/SIC Hyōgo Prefectural Route 23 86.0 ○ Himeji
- Yasutomi PA - 94.5 ○
10 Yamasaki IC National Route 29 99.6 ○ Shiso
- Yamasaki JCT Harima Expressway (planned) 103.3 planned for 2020
- Yamasaki TB - 103.9 abandoned on December 20, 2004
- Ibogawa PA - 106.6
- Kazurane BS - 110.2 ○
- Nankō BS - 113.8 ○ Sayō
10-1 Sayō JCT Tottori Expressway 117.2
11 Sayō IC National Route 373 119.2 ○
- Kōzuki PA - 125.7 ○
- Sugisaka Tunnel -
Mimasaka Okayama
11-1 Sakutō IC Okayama Prefectural Route 86 131.3
- Sakutō BS - 133.9 ○
- Narahara PA - 136.4
12 Mimasaka IC Okayama Prefectural Road 51 139.4 ○
12-1 Shōō JCT Mimasaka Okayama Road 141.8
- Katsumada BS - 144.0 ○ Shōō
- Shōō SA - 145.3
13 Tsuyama IC National Route 53 150.7 ○ Tsuyama
- Tsuyama-Kita BS - 156.0 ○
- Ninomiya PA - 159.1
14 Innoshō IC National Route 179
Okayama Prefectural Route 261		 161.1 ○
- Kume BS - 166.5 ○
- Mimasaka-Oiwake PA - 173.9 ○ Maniwa
15 Ochiai JCT Yonago Expressway 175.0
16 Ochiai IC National Route 313 181.6 ○
- Maniwa PA - 184.6
17 Hokubō JCT Okayama Expressway 190.8
18 Hokubō IC National Route 313 193.4
- Azae BS - 196.5 ○
- Fuse BS - 205.5 ○ Niimi
18-1 Ōsa SA/SIC Okayama Prefectural Route 32 209.5 ○ SIC: Open 06:00-24:00
- Kumatani BS - 215.6 ○
19 Niimi IC National Route 180 221.6 △
- Shingō PA - 228.8 ◆
- Tessei BS - 237.9 ○
20 Tojō IC National Route 182 246.4 △ Shōbara Hiroshima
- Taishakukyō PA - 248.6
249.5		 For Hiroshima, Kitakyūshū
for Yonago, Osaka
- Taishaku BS - 259.7 ○
- Motomura PA - 265.9
267.0		 For Hiroshima, Kitakyūshū
for Yonago, Osaka
21 Shōbara IC National Route 432 276.6 ○
- Nanatsukahara SA - 283.1
283.2		 For Hiroshima, Kitakyūshū
for Yonago, Osaka
- Wachi BS - 286.5 ○ Miyoshi
21-1 Miyoshi-Higashi JCT/IC E54 Matsue Expressway
E54 Onomichi Expressway
Hiroshima Prefectural Route 434		 288.6
22 Miyoshi IC National Route 375
Hiroshima Prefectural Route 470		 293.6 ○
- Gōnokawa PA - 299.1
302.0		 For Yonago, Osaka
for Hiroshima, Kitakyūshū
- Takamiya BS - 308.3 ○ Akitakata
23 Takada IC Hiroshima Prefectural Route 64 313.8
- Midori BS - 315.8 ○
- Hongō PA - 317.9
322.2		 For Yonago, Osaka
for Hiroshima, Kitakyūshū
24 Chiyoda IC Hiroshima Prefectural Route 5 328.9 ○ Kitahiroshima
25 Chiyoda JCT E74 Hamada Expressway 330.9
- Asa SA - 339.9
340.4		 For Yamaguchi, Hiroshima
for Hamada, Osaka		 Asakita-ku, Hiroshima
26 Hiroshima-Kita JCT E74 Hiroshima Expressway 343.0
- Ushizuyama Tunnel - 345.8 Ōsaka-bound 3,573 m
Kitakyūshū-bound 3,558 m
26-1 Kake BS/SIC National Route 191 355.9 ○ westbound exit, eastbound entrance Akiōta
27 Togōchi IC National Route 186
National Route 191		 360.4
- Tsutsuga PA - 363.2 ○
- Sakai Tunnel -
Hatsukaichi
28 Yoshiwa IC National Route 186 376.6
- Yoshiwa SA - 379.1 ○
- Kanmuriyama Tunnel - Ōsaka-bound 2,140 m
Kitakyūshū-bound 2,198 m
Iwakuni Yamaguchi
- Usa BS/CB - 387.4 ◆
- Fukaya PA - 395.5 ○
29 Muikaichi IC National Route 187 403.6 ◆ Yoshika Shimane
- Asakura PA - 408.5 ◆
- Yoneyama Tunnel - Ōsaka-bound 3,154 m
Kitakyūshū-bound 3,260 m
Shūnan Yamaguchi
30 Kano IC National Route 315 430.6 ◆
- Kano SA - 432.2
432.8		 For Kitakyūshū
for Hiroshima
- Kushi BS/CB - 439.7 ◆ Yamaguchi
31 Tokuji IC National Route 489 447.4 ◆
- Nioroshitōge PA - 455.7
- Niho BS - 460.6 ◆
32 Yamaguchi IC National Route 262 467.4 ◆
- Yudaonsen PA/SIC - 473.3 ◆ SIC opening in 2020
(33) Yamaguchi JCT San'yō Expressway 475.4
34
34-1		 Ogori IC
Ogori JCT		 National Route 9
Yamaguchi Ube Road		 480.1 ◆
- Mitō PA - 487.5
487.7		 For Kitakyūshū
for Hiroshima		 Mine
- Mana BS - 489.5 ◆
34-2 Mine-Higashi JCT Ogori Hagi Road 490.5
35 Mine IC National Route 435 498.2 ○
- Isa PA - 505.5
35-1 Mine-Nishi IC Yamaguchi Prefectural Route 33 511.7 ◆
35-2 Shimonoseki JCT
Nagato-Yoshida BS		 Sanyō Expressway Ube-Shimonoseki Route 519.0 ◆ Shimonoseki
- Ozuki BS - 524.0 ○
- Shimonoseki JCT Sanin Expressway (planned) -
36 Ozuki IC National Route 491 524.6 ○
- Ōji PA - 529.1
- Nagato-Katsuyama BS - 535.9 ◆
37 Shimonoseki IC Yamaguchi Prefectural Route 57 540.1
Through to Kanmon Bridge

Accidents

On 5 October 2013, comedian and singer Yakkun Sakurazuka died in an accident on the Chugoku Expressway in Mine, Yamaguchi, while en route to a concert in Kumamoto Prefecture. He was hit by another car and killed after exiting his car following a crash.[1]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chugoku Expressway.
  1. "Comedian Yakkun killed on highway". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Limited. 7 October 2013. p. 2. Retrieved 7 October 2013.

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