# Dōtō Expressway

The Dōtō Expressway (道東自動車道, Dōtō Jidōsha-dō, lit. "East Hokkaidō Expressway) is a 2-laned national expressway in Hokkaidō, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.
It forms the middle section of the Trans-Hokkaidō Expressway [ja].

## Overview

The expressway is connects the east of Hokkaidō with central regions including the greater Sapporo urban area.
At Honbetsu Junction near the eastern end the expressway splits into two routes: one route heading east towards the city of Kushiro and another route heading north towards the city of Kitami. All future extensions of these two routes will be constructed according to the New Direct Control System and are expected to operate toll-free upon completion.
The expressway is among the least used in Japan. At the time of its opening it was used by an average of only 650 vehicles a day, the lowest among all national expressways in Japan. As of 2006 the average daily ridership of the expressway has increased to 4,751 vehicles (for comparison the figure for the Tōhoku Expressway is 270,546 vehicles).
The speed limit is 70 km/h for the entire route.

## List of interchanges and features

* IC - interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, TN - tunnel, TB - toll gate

### Kushiro Route

| No. | Name | Connections | Dist. from Origin | Notes | Location (all in Hokkaidō) |
| (25) | Chitose-Eniwa JCT | Dō-Ō Expressway | 0.0 | | Chitose |
| 1 | Chitose-higashi IC | National Route 337 | 12.6 | | Chitose |
| PA | Kiusu PA | | 14.5 | | Chitose |
| 2 | Oiwakechō IC | National Route 234 | 21.9 | | Abira |
| PA | Yuni PA | | 29.3 | | Yuni |
| 3 | Yūbari IC | National Route 274 | 42.1 | | Yūbari |
| 4 | Mukawa Hobetsu IC | Pref. Route 1165 (Mukawa Hobetsu Inter Route) | 56.5 | | Mukawa |
| TN | Hobetsu Tunnel | | | Length - 4,332 m | Mukawa |
| 5 | Shimukappu IC | Pref. Route 1172 (Shimukappu Inter Route) | 76.6 | | Shimukappu |
| PA | Shimukappu PA | | 80.0 | | Shimukappu |
| 6 | Tomamu IC | Pref. Route 1170 (Tomamu Inter Route) | 102.8 | | Shimukappu |
| TN | Daiichi Karikachi Tunnel | | | Point of highest elevation among all expressways in Hokkaidō (626 m) Length - 2,351 m | Minamifurano |
| - | Shintoku IC | | | Planned | Shintoku |
| 7 | Tokachi Shimizu IC | National Route 274 | 123.7 | | Shimizu |
| SA | Tokachiheigen SA | | 138.6 | | Memuro |
| 8 | Memuro IC | Pref. Route 54 (Higashiurimaku Memuro Route) | 140.9 | | Memuro |
| 9 | Obihiro JCT | Obihiro-Hiroo Expressway | 145.3 | | Memuro |
| 10 | Otofuke Obihiro IC | National Route 241 (Obihiro Kita Bypass) | 152.4 | | Otofuke |
| PA | Osarushi PA | | 165.5 | | Otofuke |
| 11 | Ikeda IC | National Route 242 | 174.0 | | Ikeda |
| TB | Ikeda Toll Gate | | | | Ikeda |
| 12 | Honbetsu JCT | Kitami Route | 191.2 | No access: Ashoro IC ←→ Honbetsu IC | Honbetsu |
| 13 | Honbetsu IC | Pref. Route 1154 (Honbetsu Inter Route) | 193.0 | | Honbetsu |
| 14 | Urahoro IC | National Route 274 | 201.0 | | Urahoro |
| <TN> | Sensho Tunnel | | | Length - 4,460 m | Urahoro |
| 15 | Shiranuka IC | National Route 392 | 227.0 | | Shiranuka |
| 16 | Shoro IC | Pref. Route 242 (Kami-Shoro Shoro Teishajō Route) | 235.0 | | Shiranuka |
| 17 | Akan IC | National Route 240 | 240.9 | | Kushiro |
| 17-1 | Kushiro Airport IC | Pref. Route 952 (Yamahana Tsuruoka Route) | 250.2 | | Kushiro |
| 18 | Kushiro-nishi IC | National Route 38 (Kushiro Shindō) | 259.1 | | Kushiro |
| 19 | Kushiro-chuō IC | Kushiro City Route (Yanagibashi-dōri Avenue) | 265.0 | Nemuro-bound exit, Obihiro-bound entrance only | Kushiro |
| 19 | Kushiro-chuō IC | Kushiro City Route (Kyōeibashi-dōri Avenue) | 266.1 | Obihiro-bound exit, Nemuro-bound entrance only | Kushiro |
| 20 | Kushiro-higashi IC | National Route 391 | 268.8 | | Kushiro (town) |
| 21 | Kushiro-Beppo IC | National Route 272 Kushiro Nakashibetsu Road | 275.9 | | Kushiro (town) |
| Through to Trans-Hokkaidō Expressway (Planned) ||||||

### Kitami Route

| No. | Name | Connections | Dist. from Origin | Notes | Location (all in Hokkaidō) |
| 12 | Honbetsu JCT | Kushiro Route | 191.2 | No access: Ashoro IC ←→ Honbetsu IC | Honbetsu |
| 1 | Ashoro IC | National Route 242 | 204.4 | | Ashoro |
| Through to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway (Planned) ||||||

## History

* October 30, 1995 - Tokachi Shimizu Interchange - Ikeda Interchange section opened.
* October 7, 1999 - Chitose-Eniwa Junction - Yūbari Interchange section opened.
* March 15, 2003 - Obihiro Junction is opened, connecting with the Obihiro-Hiroo Expressway.
* June 8, 2003 - Ikeda Interchange - Honbetsu Interchange section and Honbetsu Junction - Ashoro Interchange section opened.
* October 21, 2007 - Tomamu Interchange - Tokachi Shimizu Interchange section opened.
* October 24, 2009 - Shimukappu Interchange - Tomamu Interchange section opened.
* November 21, 2009 - Honbetsu Interchange - Urahoro Interchange section opened.
* October 29, 2011 - Yubari Interchange - Shimukappu Interchange section opened.
* March 29, 2015 - Urahoro Interchange - Shiranuka Interchange section opened.
* March 12, 2016 - Shiranuka Interchange - Akan Interchange and Kushiro-nishi Interchange - Kushiro-higashi Interchange section opened (as part of Kushiro Sotokan Road).
* March 9, 2019 - Kushiro-higashi Interchange - Kushiro-Beppo Interchange section opened (as part of Kushiro Sotokan Road).
* September 12, 2024 - Kushiro Sotokan Road renamed to Dōtō Expressway.
* December 22, 2024 - Akan Interchange - Kushiro-nishi Interchange section opened.