# Kan-etsu Expressway

The Kan-Etsu Expressway (関越自動車道, Kan'etsu Jidōsha-dō) is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company.

## Naming

Kan-Etsu (関越) is the kanji acronym of Kantō (関東) and the old Echigo Province (越後国) comprising modern-day Niigata Prefecture.
Officially, the Kan-Etsu consists of two routes. Both begin in Tokyo and end in Niigata Prefecture. The Kan-Etsu Expressway Niigata Route consists of the entire Kan-Etsu Expressway from Nerima to Nagaoka, as well as the Hokuriku Expressway beyond Nagaoka to its terminus in the city of Niigata. The Kan-Etsu Expressway Jōetsu Route is concurrent with the Niigata Route until Fujioka Junction, where it branches off as the Jōshin-etsu Expressway and traverses Nagano Prefecture to its terminus in Jōetsu, Niigata.

## Route description

The expressway begins in Nerima Ward in the north of Tokyo; the Kan-etsu is the only national expressway linking Tokyo that does not have a direct connection with the urban Shuto Expressway network. A junction with the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway near the origin links the Kan-etsu with other expressways serving northern parts of the Tokyo urban area. From here the expressway follows a roughly northwesterly course to its terminus in Niigata Prefecture, passing through central areas of Saitama Prefecture and Gunma Prefecture. In Gunma the Kan-etsu Expressway provides access to Nagano Prefecture by way of the Jōshin-etsu Expressway at Fujioka Junction, and the completion of the Kita-Kantō Expressway in 2011 facilitated access to Tochigi Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture. The mountainous area separating Gunma and Niigata Prefectures is traversed by the Kan-Etsu Tunnel, the second longest road tunnel in Japan. The expressway then passes through southern Niigata Prefecture before terminating at a junction with the Hokuriku Expressway in Nagaoka. The route is six lanes from Ōizumi Junction to Shibukawa-Ikaho Interchange, and all other sections are four lanes. The expressway parallels National Route 17 and the Jōetsu Shinkansen of East Japan Railway Company for most of its length.

## History

The first section opened in 1971 and the entire route was opened to traffic in 1985. On the night of 16 December 2020, about 1,000 vehicles were trapped on the expressway after a trailer blocked it off due to it becoming stuck in the snow. In response, the company that manages the route supplied drivers who were stuck on the road until the next morning. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force was also deployed to the expressway to aid in the distribution of supplies to the stranded drivers.

## List of interchanges and features

* IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, TB - toll gate, BS - bus stop, CB - snow chains, TN - tunnel, BR - bridge
| No. | Name | Connections | Dist. from origin | Dist. from terminus | Bus stop | Notes | Speed limit | Location | Location |
| 1 | Nerima IC | Met. Route 24 (Nerima Tokorozawa Route / Mejiro Dōri) | 0.0 | 246.2 | | | 80 km/h | Nerima | Tokyo |
| 2 | Ōizumi JCT | Tokyo Gaikan Expressway | 0.8 | 245.0 | | IC entrance: Nagaoka-bound only | 80 km/h | Nerima | Tokyo |
| 2 | Ōizumi IC | Met. Route 24 (Nerima Tokorozawa Route / Mejiro Dōri) | 0.8 | 245.0 | | IC entrance: Nagaoka-bound only | 80 km/h | Nerima | Tokyo |
| TB | Niiza Toll Gate | | ↓ | ↑ | | | 80 km/h | Niiza | Saitama |
| TB | Niiza Toll Gate | | ↓ | ↑ | | | 100 km/h | Niiza | Saitama |
| 3 | Tokorozawa IC | National Route 463 (Urawa Tokorozawa Bypass) | 9.4 | 237.6 | | | 100 km/h | Tokorozawa | Saitama |
| PA | Miyoshi PA/ SIC | | 13.9 | 233.1 | | | 100 km/h | Miyoshi | Saitama |
| 4 | Kawagoe IC | National Route 16 | 21.2 | 225.9 | | | 100 km/h | Kawagoe | Saitama |
| BS | Kawagoe- Matoba BS | | ↓ | ↑ | ○ | | 100 km/h | Kawagoe | Saitama |
| 4-1 | Tsurugashima JCT | Ken-Ō Expressway | 27.8 | 219.3 | | | 100 km/h | Tsurugashima | Saitama |
| 5 | Tsurugashima IC | National Route 407 | 29.6 | 217.5 | | | 100 km/h | Tsurugashima | Saitama |
| 5-1 | Sakado-Nishi SIC | Pref. Route 39 (Kawagoe Sakado Moroyama Route) | 32.5 | 214.6 | | | 100 km/h | Sakado | Saitama |
| SA | Takasaka SA | | 34.7 | 212.4 | | | 100 km/h | Higashi- matsuyama | Saitama |
| 6 | Higashi- matsuyama IC | National Route 254 Pref. Route 47 (Fukaya Higashimatsuyama Route) | 39.4 | 207.7 | | | 100 km/h | Higashi- matsuyama | Saitama |
| 6-1 | Ranzan-Ogawa IC | Pref. Route 11 (Kumagaya Ogawa Chichibu Route) | 47.4 | 199.7 | | | 100 km/h | Ranzan | Saitama |
| PA | Ranzan PA | | 50.1 | 197.0 | | | 100 km/h | Ranzan | Saitama |
| 7 | Hanazono IC | National Route 140 | 56.1 | 191.0 | | | 100 km/h | Fukaya | Saitama |
| 7-1 PA | Yorii PA | | 63.4 | 183.7 | | SIC: Nagaoka-bound only | 100 km/h | Fukaya/ Yorii | Saitama |
| 8 | Honjō-Kodama IC | National Route 462 | 69.6 | 177.5 | | | 100 km/h | Honjō | Saitama |
| 8-1 SA | Kamisato SA/ SIC | | 75.5 | 170.6 | | | 100 km/h | Kamisato | Saitama |
| 9 | Fujioka JCT | Jōshin-etsu Expressway | 78.6 | 167.5 | | | 100 km/h | Fujioka | Gunma |
| 9-1 | Takasaki-Tamamura SIC | National Route 354 (Takasaki-Tamamura Bypass) | 82.7 | 163.4 | | | 100 km/h | Takasaki | Gunma |
| 9-2 | Takasaki JCT | Kita-Kantō Expressway | 84.6 | 161.5 | | | 100 km/h | Takasaki | Gunma |
| 10 | Takasaki IC | Pref. Route 27 (Takasaki Komagata Route) | 87.0 | 159.1 | | | 100 km/h | Takasaki | Gunma |
| 11 | Maebashi IC | National Route 17 | 92.1 | 154.0 | | | 100 km/h | Takasaki/ Maebashi | Gunma |
| 11-1 PA | Komayose PA/ SIC | | 98.5 | 147.6 | | | 100 km/h | Yoshioka | Gunma |
| 12 | Shibukawa-Ikaho IC | National Route 17 (Shibukawa Bypass) | 103.4 | 142.7 | | | 100 km/h | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| 12 | Shibukawa-Ikaho IC | National Route 17 (Shibukawa Bypass) | 103.4 | 142.7 | | | 80 km/h | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| BR | No.1 Tonegawa Bridge | | ↓ | ↑ | | Length: 784 m | 80 km/h | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| CB | Miharada CB | | ↓ | ↑ | | Nerima-bound only | 80 km/h | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| 12-1/ PA | Akagi IC/PA | Pref. Route 70 (Ōmama Kamishiroi Route) | 111.2 | 134.9 | | | 80 km/h | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| SA | Akagi-kōgen SA | | 118.5 | 127.6 | | | 80 km/h | Shōwa | Gunma |
| 12-2 | Showa IC | Pref. Route 65 (Shōwa Inter Route) | 120.6 | 125.5 | | | 80 km/h | Shōwa | Gunma |
| 13 | Numata IC | National Route 120 | 125.8 | 120.3 | | | 80 km/h | Numata | Gunma |
| CB | Numata CB | | ↓ | ↑ | | Nagaoka-bound only | 80 km/h | Numata | Gunma |
| 14 | Tsukiyono IC | National Route 17 | 131.1 | 115.0 | | | 80 km/h | Minakami | Gunma |
| PA | Shimomoku PA | | 135.5 | 110.6 | | | 80 km/h | Minakami | Gunma |
| BR | Ōmine Bridge | | ↓ | ↑ | | Length: 784 m | 80 km/h | Minakami | Gunma |
| 15 | Minakami IC | National Route 291 | 141.0 | 105.1 | | | 80 km/h | Minakami | Gunma |
| PA | Tanigawadake PA | | 146.0 | 100.1 | | | 80 km/h | Minakami | Gunma |
| TN | Kan-Etsu Tunnel | | ↓ | ↑ | | Nerima-bound 11,055 m Nagaoka-bound 10,926 m | 70 km/h | Minakami | Gunma |
| TN | Kan-Etsu Tunnel | | ↓ | ↑ | | Nerima-bound 11,055 m Nagaoka-bound 10,926 m | 70 km/h | Yuzawa | Niigata |
| PA | Tsuchitaru PA | | 157.5 | 88.6 | | | 80 km/h | Yuzawa | Niigata |
| 16 | Yuzawa IC | National Route 17 | 167.0 | 79.1 | ○ | | 80 km/h | Yuzawa | Niigata |
| TN | Ishiuchi Tunnel | | ↓ | ↑ | | Nerima-bound 1,590 m Nagaoka-bound 1,502 m | 80 km/h | Minami- uonuma | Niigata |
| SA | Shiozawa- Ishiuchi SA | | (173.5) | 72.3 | | Nerima-bound only | 80 km/h | Minami- uonuma | Niigata |
| 16-1/ SA | Shiozawa- Ishiuchi IC/SA | Pref. Route 28 (Shiozawa Yamato Route) | 175.5 | 70.6 | | SA: Nagaoka-bound only | 80 km/h | Minami- uonuma | Niigata |
| BR | Nakanojima Bridge | | ↓ | ↑ | | Length: 460 m | 80 km/h | Minami- uonuma | Niigata |
| 17 | Muikamachi IC | National Route 253 | 186.9 | 59.2 | ○ | | 80 km/h | Minami- uonuma | Niigata |
| BR | Hakkai Bridge | | ↓ | ↑ | | Length: 610 m | 80 km/h | Minami- uonuma | Niigata |
| 17-1/ PA | Yamato PA/ SIC | | 198.3 | 47.8 | | | 80 km/h | Minami- uonuma | Niigata |
| 18 | Uonuma IC | National Route 291 | 204.4 | 41.7 | ○ | | 80 km/h | Uonuma | Niigata |
| 18-1/ PA | Horinouchi IC/PA | Pref. Route 84 (Horinouchi Inter Route) | 212.1 | 34.0 | | | 80 km/h | Uonuma | Niigata |
| BR | Kawaguchi Bridge | | ↓ | ↑ | | | 80 km/h | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| 19/SA | Echigo-Kawaguchi IC/SA | Pref. Route 83 (Kawaguchi Shiodono Route) | 220.9 | 25.2 | ○ | | 80 km/h | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| TN | Yamamotosan Tunnel | | ↓ | ↑ | | Nerima-bound 1,838 m Nagaoka-bound 1,804 m | 80 km/h | Ojiya | Niigata |
| 20 | Ojiya IC | National Route 291 | 228.8 | 17.3 | ○ | | 80 km/h | Ojiya | Niigata |
| 20 | Ojiya IC | National Route 291 | 228.8 | 17.3 | ○ | | 100 km/h | Ojiya | Niigata |
| PA | Yamaya PA | | 230.9 | 15.2 | | | 100 km/h | Ojiya | Niigata |
| BS | Katakai BS | | 235.0 | 11.1 | ○ | | 100 km/h | Ojiya | Niigata |
| BS | Koshiji BS | | 238.5 | 7.6 | ○ | | 100 km/h | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| 20-1 | Nagaokaminami- Koshiji SIC | Pref. Route 23 (Kashiwazaki Takahama Horinouchi Route) | ↓ | ↑ | | | 100 km/h | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| 21 | Nagaoka IC | National Route 8 Pref. Route 86 (Nagaoka Inter Route) | 244.5 | 1.6 | ○ | | 100 km/h | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| 21 | Nagaoka IC | National Route 8 Pref. Route 86 (Nagaoka Inter Route) | 244.5 | 1.6 | ○ | | 80 km/h | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| (37) | Nagaoka JCT | Hokuriku Expressway | 246.1 | 0.0 | | | 80 km/h | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| Through to Hokuriku Expressway ||||||||||