between the Joban Tomioka IC and Hirono IC that had been closed due to effects from the disaster, was re-opened on February 22, 2014, while the road between Minamisoma IC and Namie IC—which had been under construction when the disaster occurred—is scheduled to re-open sometime in 2014, and the road between Namie IC and Joban Tomioka IC has ongoing maintenance work being done with the goal of opening for use before Golden Week holiday period (from the last week of April to the second week of May) in 2015, 2) National highways under direct control had mostly completed full-scale recovery by the end of FY2012 (National highway No.45, which had been damaged in major areas like bridges, was recovered according to the reconstruction plan), 3) Reconstruction roads and reconstruction support roads, with the inclusion of sections that had been newly added to the project, are moving forward with construction work by using the technical capabilities of the private sector in a project development system (project promotion PPP), and started construction work on 4 roads in 18 sections by the end of FY2013. Furthermore, in April 2014, the prospect of the roads being opened to traffic was confirmed for the first time for reconstruction roads and reconstruction support roads that were added to the project after the disaster. 5 sections—42km—of roads is expected to be opened for use within 6 to 7 years after commercialization, which is an unusually quick time frame. This has confirmed the opening of approximately 60% of the total area, including sections that have already been opened for use.

## (7) Railroads

Out of all the railways affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, there are 6 railway lines from the Sanriku Railway and JR East that still have sections that have suspended services (JR Yamada line, Ofunato line, Kesennuma line, Ishinomaki line, Senseki line, and Joban line).

The Sanriku Railway used the support system that was newly established in the FY2011 Third Supplementary Budget to start reconstruction work during that same year, and re-opened services between the Tanohata station and Rikuchunoda station on the Kita-riasu line by April 1, 2012, and service between Yoshihama station and Mori station on the Minami-riasu line by April 3, 2013. Currently, reconstruction work on the remaining suspended service sections continues, and it is expected that the service between the Kamaishi station and the Yoshihama station on the Minami-riasu line, and service between Tanohata station and Shohon station on the Kita-riasu line, will be re-opened by April 5 or 6 of 2014, which would mean full recovery of the Sankiru Railway lines.

In regards to the service between Tatsuta station and Hirono station on the Joban line, the service is expected to re-open in accordance with Nahara Town’s “returning to the town decision,” which will be determined in the spring of 2014. Furthermore, the reconstruction work has already been started to re-open services on the Ishinomaki line and Senseki line within 2015, and the service between Hamayoshida station and Soma station on the Joban line to be re-opened by the spring of 2017.

Meanwhile, the MLIT Tohoku Department of Transportation has been appointed the secretariat for the Yamada line, Ofunato line, and the Kesennuma line at the reconstruction coordination meetings—comprised of municipalities along the railway lines, JR East, and restoration offices—of each railway line, in order to move forward ideas for integrating the restoration of the railway lines with the city development. In addition, to secure public transportation for the time being, BRT $ ^{Note} $ has been set up as a temporary recovery measure for the Kesennuma line since December 22, 2012, and for the Ofunato line since March 2, 2013.

## (8) Ports and Harbors

The disaster recovery work was completed for the Port of Hachinohe at the end of July 2013. In regards to the other ports, we have been advancing the restoration of thing like the bay entrance breakwaters according to the ‘Industry and Logistics Reconstruction Plan,’ while working to restore port facilities like quays and breakwaters, which will become the foundation for economic recovery.

Meanwhile, the sea area landfill sites of Sendai Shiogama and Ishinomaki ports zone and the Ibaraki and Hitachi-Naka ports zone are undergoing maintenance in order to advance the disposal of disaster waste produced by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Landfill disposal has started in the Sendai Shiogama and Ishinomaki ports zone in February 2013, and in the Ibaraki and Hitachi-Naka ports zone in July 2012.