The is a 4-laned national expressway in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company.
Naming
The expressway is officially referred to as the Chūō Expressway Nagano Route. The Chūō Expressway Nagano Route is the official designation for the Chūō Expressway between Takaido Interchange and Okaya Junction (concurrent with the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route), the Nagano Expressway between Okaya Junction and Kōshoku Junction, and the Jōshin-etsu Expressway between Kōshoku Junction and Suzaka-Naganohigashi Interchange (concurrent with the Kan-Etsu Expressway Jōetsu Route).
Overview
The expressway was originally built and managed by Japan Highway Public Corporation. On October 1, 2005, the management of the route was assigned to East Nippon Expressway Company (Kōshoku Junction to Azumino Interchange, excluding the interchange) and Central Nippon Expressway Company (Okaya Junction to Azumino Interchange, including the interchange).
The route of the expressway runs through the central part of Nagano Prefecture. From the origin at a junction with the Chūō Expressway in the city of Okaya near Lake Suwa, the expressway follows a northerly course to Matsumoto, the major city in the central Nagano area. From here the expressway follows a winding northeasterly course through mountainous areas before reaching the terminus in the city of Chikuma. Beyond the terminus, the roadway continues as the Jōshin-etsu Expressway towards the city of Nagano, the prefectural capital.
History March 25, 1986 - Okaya Junction - Okaya Interchange section is opened as part of the Chūō Expressway. March 5, 1988 - Okaya Interchange - Matsumoto Interchange section is opened, Okaya Junction - Okaya Interchange section is incorporated as part of the Nagano Expressway. August 3, 1988 - Matsumoto Interchange - Toyoshina Interchange section is opened. March 25, 1993 - Toyoshina Interchange - Kōshoku Junction section is opened, connects with Jōshin-etsu Expressway. October 1, 2006 - Obasute Smart Interchange is opened at Obasute Service Area.
List of interchanges and features
IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, CB - snow chains, TN - tunnel, BR - bridge
No.NameConnectionsDist. fromOriginDist. fromTerminusBus StopNotesSpeed LimitLocation(all in Nagano)(21)Okaya JCT Chūō Expressway0.075.870 km/hOkayaBROkaya Overpass↓↑Length - 1,488mTNOkaya Tunnel↓↑North-bound 1,450 mSouth-bound 1,386 m1Okaya IC/Okaya (Imai) BS National Route 20 (Shimosuwa Okaya Bypass)3.772.1○TNEnrei Tunnel↓↑North-bound 1,800 mSouth-bound 1,707 mShiojiriPAMidoriko PA8.467.4○2Shiojiri IC National Route 20 (Shiojiri Bypass)10.964.9100 km/hBSHirooka-Nomura BS14.161.7○3Shiojiri-kita ICPref. Route 27 (Matsumoto Airport Shiojiri-kita Inter Route)17.658.2BRNaraigawa Bridge↓↑MatsumotoBSKanbayashi BS21.054.8○<3-1>Matsumoto JCT Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway↓↑Planned4Matsumoto IC National Route 15825.850.0○SAAzusagawa SA/SICPref. Route 48 (Matsumoto Kanjō Takaya Route)29.1(46.7)Kōshoku-bound onlyBRAzusagawa Bridge↓↑Length - 390mAzuminoSAAzusagawa SA/SIC(29.9)45.9Okaya-bound only5Azumino ICPref. Route 57 (Azumino Inter Horigane Route)Pref. Route 310 (Hakuyachō Tazawa Teishajō Route)33.142.7○80 km/hBRSaigawa Bridge↓↑Length - 650mBSAkashina BS36.539.3○TNAkashina Tunnel↓↑North-bound 2,512 mSouth-bound 2,536 mBSShiga BS40.535.3○Emergency vehicle entrance/exit MatsumotoTNTachitoge Tunnel↓↑North-bound 3,629 mSouth-bound 3,598 mChikuhokuBSHonjō BS47.328.5○Emergency vehicle entrance/exitBSSakakita BS51.524.3○PAChikuhoku PA/SIC52.823.0SIC plannedOmi6Omi IC National Route 40356.319.5○TNIpponmatsu Tunnel↓↑North-bound 3,191 mSouth-bound 3,203 mChikumaSAObasute SA/SIC63.612.2○BRChikumagawa Bridge↓↑Length - 530mNaganoChikuma7Kōshoku IC National Route 18 (Ueda Shinonoi Bypass)74.90.9○(12)Kōshoku JCT Jōshin-etsu Expressway (To Fujioka and Tōkyō)75.80.0Through to Jōshin-etsu Expressway (To Nagano and Jōetsu)
There is one snow chain changing area between Obasute Service Area and Kōshoku Interchange.
References
External links East Nippon Expressway Company Central Nippon Expressway Company