# Sanriku Expressway

The Sanriku Expressway (三陸自動車道, Sanriku Jidōsha-dō) is an incomplete expressway that exists in multiple segments in Miyagi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The expressway connects Sendai, the capital and largest city in Miyagi Prefecture, to Miyako in Iwate Prefecture. It follows the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the northern parts of the Tōhoku region, otherwise known as the Sanriku Coast. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO East Japan), the Miyagi Prefecture Road Corporation, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The route is signed as an auxiliary route of National Route 45 as well as E6 and E45 under MLIT's "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering." It is one of three routes numbered E45, the other two are the Sanriku-kita Jūkan Road and the Hachinohe-Kuji Expressway, and one of many routes numbered E6, although the Sanriku Expressway only carries the number close to its southern terminus in Sendai. When completed, all of these routes will form an expressway that travels from the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway in Saitama Prefecture along the Pacific Coast to Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture.

## Naming

The expressway is named after the Sanriku region of northern Japan. The region was named Sanriku in the aftermath of the Boshin War, the provinces of Mutsu and Dewa were divided. Mutsu was split into new five provinces: Rikuō (also read Mutsu), Rikuchū, Rikuzen, Iwashiro and Iwaki. The first three of these collectively known as the "Three Riku", or Sanriku, with san (三) meaning "three." They are now known, respectively, as Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, and Miyagi Prefecture. When completed the Sanriku Expressway and Sanriku-kita Jūkan Road will span these three prefectures.

## Future

The expressway is expected to be entirely completed by 2020 as part of a region-wide recovery effort from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

## Junction list

TB= Toll booth, PA= Parking Area
| Prefecture | Location | km | mi | Exit | Name | Destinations | Notes |
| Through to Sendai-Tōbu Road ||||||||
| Miyagi | Miyagino-ku, Sendai | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | Sendaikō-kita | National Route 45 | |
| Miyagi | Tagajō | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1-1 | Tagajō | Miyagi Prefecture Route 35 (Izumi Shiogama Route) | |
| Miyagi | Rifu | 4.0 | 2.5 | 2 | Rifu | Sendai-Hokubu Road – to Tōhoku Expressway, Morioka, Aomori | Northern terminus of E6 concurrency, southern terminus of E45 |
| Miyagi | Rifu | 5.6 | 3.5 | 3 | Rifu Shiogama | Miyagi Prefecture Route 3 (Shiogama Yoshioka Route) | |
| Miyagi | Rifu | 7.8 | 4.8 | 4 | Rifu-naka | Miyagi Prefecture Route 8 (Sendai Matsushima Route) | Northern limit of tolling by NEXCO East, southern limit of tolling by Miyagi Prefecture Road Corporation |
| Miyagi | Rifu | 9.1 | 5.7 | PA | Kasuga | | |
| Miyagi | Rifu | 11.8 | 7.3 | 5 | Matsushima-Kaigan | Miyagi Prefecture Route 144 (Akanuma Matsushima Route) | |
| Miyagi | Matsushima | 15.9 | 9.9 | 6 | Matsushima-Ōsato | Miyagi Prefecture Route 9 (Taiwa Matsushima Route) | |
| Miyagi | Matsushima | 19.3 | 12.0 | 7 | Matsushima-kita | National Route 346 | |
| Miyagi | Higashimatsushima | 26.1 | 16.2 | 8/TB | Naruse-Okumatsushima | National Route 45 | Northern terminus of toll collection by Miyagi Prefecture Road Corporation, southern terminus of section maintained by MLIT |
| Miyagi | Higashimatsushima | 30.6 | 19.0 | PA | Yamoto | | |
| Miyagi | Higashimatsushima | 31.9 | 19.8 | 9 | Yamoto | Miyagi Prefecture Route 34 (Yamoto Kanan Route) | |
| Miyagi | Higashimatsushima | 36.1 | 22.4 | 10 | Ishinomakiko | Miyagi Prefecture Route 251 – to National Route 45 | |
| Miyagi | Ishinomaki | 38.5 | 23.9 | 11 | Ishinomaki-Kanan | Miyagi Prefecture Route 16 (Ishinomaki Kashimadai Ōhira Kanan Route) – to National Route 108 | |
| Miyagi | Ishinomaki | 40.5 | 25.2 | 11-1 | Ishinomaki-Onagawa | National Route 45 / National Route 398 – ⛨ Ishinomaki Red Cross Hospital | |
| Miyagi | Ishinomaki | 45.2 | 28.1 | 12 | Kahoku | Miyagi Prefecture Route 196 | |
| Miyagi | Ishinomaki | 52.6 | 32.7 | 13 | Monō-Toyosato | Miyagi Prefecture Route 30 | |
| Miyagi | Ishinomaki | 56.8 | 35.3 | 14 | Monō-Tsuyama | Miyagi Prefecture Route 61 | |
| Miyagi | Tome | 66.4 | 41.3 | 15 | Tome | Miyagi Prefecture Route 4 (Ishinomaki Kashimadai Ōhira Kanan Route) – to National Route 108 | |
| Miyagi | Tome | 71.4 | 44.4 | 16 | Tome-Tōwa | National Route 398 – to Michi-no-eki Rinrinkan | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| Miyagi | Tome | 73.4 | 45.6 | 16-1 | Mitakido | National Route 398 – to Michi-no-eki Mitakido | |
| Miyagi | Minamisanriku | 82.5 | 51.3 | 17 | Shizugawa | National Route 398 – to National Route 45 | |
| Miyagi | Minamisanriku | 85.5 | 53.1 | 18 | Minamisanriku-Kaigan | National Route 45 | |
| Miyagi | Minamisanriku | 89.7 | 55.7 | 19 | Utatsu | National Route 45 | |
| Miyagi | Minamisanriku | 93.7 | 58.2 | 20 | Utatsu-kita | National Route 45 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 99.7 | 62.0 | 21 | Koizumi-Kaigan | National Route 45 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| 2-kilometer-long (1.2 mi) gap in the expressway, connection is made by National Route 45 ||||||||
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 101.7 | 63.2 | 22 | Motoyoshitsuya | National Route 45 | Southbound exit, northbound entrance |
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 103.7 | 64.4 | PA | Motoyoshi | | |
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 105.7 | 65.7 | 23 | Ōya-Kaigan | National Route 45 | |
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 108.2 | 67.2 | 23-1 | Iwaisaki | Unnamed road – to National Route 45 | Southbound exit, northbound entrance |
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 112.8 | 70.1 | 24 | Kesennuma-chūō | National Route 45 (Kesennuma Bypass) | |
| 9-kilometer-long (5.6 mi) gap in the expressway, connection is made by National Route 45 ||||||||
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 121.8 | 75.7 | — | Karakuwa-minami | National Route 45 | |
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | 124.8 | 77.5 | 29 | Karakuwa-Goharagi | National Route 45 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| Miyagi | Kesennuma | | | PA | Karakuwaosawa | | |
| Iwate | Rikuzentakata | 128.3 | 79.7 | 30 | Rikuzentakata-Taosabe | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Rikuzentakata | 134.8 | 83.8 | 31 | Rikuzentakata | National Route 340 | |
| Iwate | Rikuzentakata | 138.9 | 86.3 | 32 | Kayooka | National Route 45 | Southbound exit, northbound entrance |
| Iwate | Ōfunato | 141.3 | 87.8 | PA | Funagawara | | Parking area is only accessible for northbound traffic |
| Iwate | Ōfunato | 142.3 | 88.4 | 33 | Ōfunato-Goishikaigan | National Route 45/ Iwate Prefecture Route 38 | |
| Iwate | Ōfunato | 146.9 | 91.3 | — | Emergency Exit | ⛨ Iwate Prefecture Ōfunato Hospital | Emergency vehicles only |
| Iwate | Ōfunato | 150.9 | 93.8 | 34 | Ōfunato | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Ōfunato | 154.5 | 96.0 | 35 | Ōfunato-kita | National Route 45 | Southbound exit, northbound entrance |
| Iwate | Ōfunato | 159.9 | 99.4 | 36 | Sanriku | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Ōfunato | 163.5 | 101.6 | 37 | Yoshihama | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Kamaishi | 168.5 | 104.7 | 38 | Kamaishi-minami | National Route 45 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| Iwate | Kamaishi | 171.0 | 106.3 | 39 | Kamaishi-Tōni | National Route 45 | Southbound exit, northbound entrance |
| Iwate | Kamaishi | 177.5 | 110.3 | 40 | Kamaishi | Kamaishi Expressway – to Tōhoku Expressway, Tōno, Hanamaki | |
| Iwate | Kamaishi | 178.4 | 110.9 | 41 | Kamaishi-chūō | National Route 283 | |
| Iwate | Kamaishi | 183.1 | 113.8 | 42 | Kamaishi-Ryōishi | Iwate Prefecture Route 242 | Southbound exit, northbound entrance |
| Iwate | Kamaishi | 187.0 | 116.2 | 43 | Kamaishi-kita | National Route 45 | Southbound entrance, northbound exit |
| Iwate | Ōtsuchi | 192.5 | 119.6 | 44 | Ōtsuchi | Iwate Prefecture Route 26 | |
| Iwate | Ōtsuchi | 196.3 | 122.0 | PA | Namita | | |
| Iwate | Yamada | 200.5 | 124.6 | 45 | Yamada-minami | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Yamada | 208.3 | 129.4 | 46 | Yamada | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Yamada | 216.3 | 134.4 | 47 | Yamada-kita | National Route 45 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| Iwate | Miyako | 220.8 | 137.2 | PA | Tsugaruishi | | |
| Iwate | Miyako | 222.3 | 138.1 | 48 | Miyako-minami | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Miyako | 227.1 | 141.1 | 49 | Miyako-chūō | National Route 106 (Miyako West Bypass) | |
| Iwate | Miyako | 230.5– 227.1 | 143.2– 141.1 | 50 | Miyako-kita | | |
| Iwate | Miyako | 240.1 | 149.2 | 51 | Tarō-minami | Iwate Prefecture Route 177 | |
| Iwate | Miyako | 244.1 | 151.7 | 52 | Tarō-Masakikaigan | National Route 45 | |
| Iwate | Miyako | 248.1 | 154.2 | 53 | Tarō-kita | National Route 45 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| Through to Sanriku-kita Jūkan Road ||||||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Tolled Unopened ||||||||