# Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway

The Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway (東海北陸自動車道, Tōkaihokuriku Jidōsha-dō) is a national expressway in the Chūbu region on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is managed by Central Nippon Expressway Company. The route is signed E41 under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering."

## Overview

Tōkai and Hokuriku are the names of the two regions of Japan that are linked by the expressway.
The expressway begins at a junction with the Meishin Expressway to the northwest of the Nagoya urban area and follows a northerly course into Gifu Prefecture, passing the capital Gifu and heading further north into the mountainous Hida region. The expressway also passes by Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites straddling the border between Gifu Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture. The expressway continues north through western Toyama Prefecture to its terminus at a junction with the Hokuriku Expressway and the Nōetsu Expressway.
The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1986. The final section of the expressway (25 km between Hida-Kiyomi Interchange and Shirakawagō Interchange) was opened on July 5, 2008. A major component of this section is the Hida Tunnel, the second longest road tunnel in Japan after the Kan-Etsu Tunnel. A total of 1.22 trillion yen was spent on planning and construction of the expressway over 36 years.
The expressway is 4 lanes from Ichinomiya Junction to Fukubegatake Parking Area, and 2 lanes on all other sections. Construction to expand the route to 4 lanes is currently underway on the section between Fukubegatake Parking Area and Shirotori Interchange. The speed limit is 80 km/h on 4-laned sections and 70 km/h on 2-laned sections.

## Features

At 1,086 meters, Matsunoki Pass between Shōkawa Interchange and Hida-Kiyomi Interchange is the highest point in the national expressway network. A parking area is planned to open at this point.
There are a total of 54 tunnels either completed or under construction. After the Hida Tunnel, the Hakamagoshi Tunnel (between Fukumitsu Interchange and Gokayama Interchange) is the longest. Trucks carrying hazardous materials are forbidden from using the tunnel and must use alternate routes.
The piers on the Washimi Bridge (between Shōkawa Interchange and Takasu Interchange) are the tallest in Japan, at 118 m.

## 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 (km) | Bus Stop | Notes | Location | Location |
| 1 | Ichinomiya-Inazawa-kita IC | Pref. Route 14 (Gifu Inazawa Route) (Nishi-Owari Chūō Road) | | | | Ichinomiya | Aichi |
| 25-1 | Ichinomiya JCT | Meishin Expressway | 0.0 | | | Ichinomiya | Aichi |
| 1-1 | Ichinomiya-nishi IC | Pref. Route 14 (Gifu Inazawa Route) | 1.0 | | Gifu-bound exit, Ichinomiya JCT-bound entrance only | Ichinomiya | Aichi |
| 2 | Bisai IC | Pref. Route 148 (Hagiwara Sanjō Kitagata Route) | 3.9 | | Ichinomiya JCT-bound exit, Gifu-bound entrance only | Ichinomiya | Aichi |
| 3 | Ichinomiya-Kisogawa IC | National Route 22 (Meigi Bypass) | 7.7 | | | Ichinomiya | Aichi |
| PA | Kawashima PA | | 11.3 | | Highway Oasis | Kakamigahara | Gifu |
| 4 | Gifu-Kakamigahara IC | National Route 21 (Naka Bypass) | 13.3 | | | Kakamigahara | Gifu |
| BS | Sohara BS | | 18.8 | ○ | | Gifu | Gifu |
| 5 | Seki IC | National Route 248 (Seki Bypass) | 25.5 | | | Seki | Gifu |
| BS | Kose BS | | 27.8 | ○ | | Seki | Gifu |
| SA | Seki SA | | 28.0 | | Gifu-bound only | Seki | Gifu |
| SA | Nagaragawa SA | | 30.1 | | Takayama-bound only | Seki | Gifu |
| 5-1 | Mino-Seki JCT | Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway | 31.1 | | | Seki | Gifu |
| 6 | Mino IC | Pref. Route 94 (Gifu Mino Route) | 32.4 | ○ | | Mino | Gifu |
| PA | Kojōzan PA | | 38.4 | | Mino-bound only | Mino | Gifu |
| 7 | Minami IC | National Route 156 | 49.6 | ○ | | Gujō | Gifu |
| PA | Fukubegatake PA | | 50.8 | | Takayama-bound only | Gujō | Gifu |
| 8 | Gujō-Hachiman IC | National Route 156 | 59.8 | ○ | | Gujō | Gifu |
| - | Hachiman JCT | Nōbi-Ōdan Expressway | | | Planned | Gujō | Gifu |
| 9/PA | Gifu-Yamato IC/PA | Pref. Route 52 (Shirotori Itadori Route) | 66.0 | ○ | | Gujō | Gifu |
| 10 | Shirotori IC | Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway Pref. Route 82 (Shirotori Meihō Route) | 76.4 | | | Gujō | Gifu |
| 11 | Takasu IC | Pref. Route 45 (Takasu Inter Route) | 84.4 | | | Gujō | Gifu |
| 11-1/SA | Hiruganokōgen SA/ SIC | Pref. Route 321 (Hiruganokōgen Route) | 91.5 | ○ | | Gujō | Gifu |
| 12 | Shōkawa IC | National Route 158 | 98.3 | | | Takayama | Gifu |
| PA | Matsunokitōge PA | | 109.2 109.5 | | Oyabe-bound Ichinomiya-bound | Takayama | Gifu |
| 13 | Hida-Kiyomi IC/ JCT | Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway National Route 158 | 117.3 | | | Takayama | Gifu |
| PA | Hida-Kawai PA | | 130.2 | | | Hida | Gifu |
| TN | Hida Tunnel | | | | Length - 10,712 m | Hida | Gifu |
| TN | Hida Tunnel | | | | Length - 10,712 m | Shirakawa | Gifu |
| 14 | Shirakawagō IC | National Route 156 | 142.2 | | | Shirakawa | Gifu |
| PA | Hida-Shirakawa PA | | 143.6 143.5 | | Oyabe-bound Ichinomiya-bound | Shirakawa | Gifu |
| 15 | Gokayama IC | National Route 156 | 157.4 | | | Nanto | Toyama |
| TN | Hakamagoshi Tunnel | | 165.3 | | Length - 5,939 m, dangerous goods forbidden | Nanto | Toyama |
| SA | Jōhana SA/ SIC | | 169.9 | ○ | Highway Oasis SIC open in 2019 | Nanto | Toyama |
| 16 | Fukumitsu IC | National Route 304 | 173.8 | | | Nanto | Toyama |
| 17 | Nanto SIC | Pref. Route 279 (Yasui Fukuno Route) | 181.4 | | | Nanto | Toyama |
| 19 | Oyabe-Tonami JCT | Hokuriku Expressway | 184.8 | | | Tonami | Toyama |
| 19 | Oyabe-Tonami JCT | Hokuriku Expressway | 184.8 | | | Oyabe | Toyama |
| Through to Nōetsu Expressway ||||||||

## Gallery

* Ichinomiya Junction southbound
* Bisai Interchange
* Near Kawashima Parking Area
* Bridge over the Kiso River
* Mino-Seki Junction southbound
* Gujō-Hachiman Bus Stop
* Construction work to expand to 4 lanes near Gifu-Yamato Interchange
* Near Takasu Interchange
* Washimi Bridge
* View from Hiruganokōgen Service Area facing south
* Pacific Ocean-Japan Sea watershed boundary near Hiruganokōgen Service Area
* Future site of Matsunokitōge Parking Area
* Hida-Kiyomi Interchange
* Near Shirakawagō Interchange
* View from Jōhana Service Area facing north