structures, such as bridges, has begun in earnest. The work is simultaneously being completed on all areas, including zones that have been newly privatized, and through the application of the Project Promotion Process (PPP), we are able to make use of the private sector's technological skills. Among many Reconstruction Road and Reconstruction Support Road projects that were planned after the Great East Japan Earthquake, 15 sections with a total length of 110km have moved a step forward toward their reopening.

## (7) Railroads

Of the railways that were damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Sanriku Railway resumed full operations in April 2014, the Ishinomaki Line in March 2015, and the Senseki Line in May 2015. Regarding the Ofunato Line and the Kesennuma Line, where the BRT $ ^{Note 1} $ has been operated as a temporary restoration measure to secure public transportation, the meeting of local government heads in areas along the lines, which was presided over by the senior vice-minister of MILT, was held in June 2015 for the purpose of having high-level discussions on restoration policy. In the second meeting in July 2015, the East Japan Railway Company proposed full-scale restoration by BRT. In the third meeting in December 2015, the acceptance of full-scale restoration by BRT was agreed for the Ofunato Line, as well as Minami Sanriku-cho and Tome-shi of the Kesennuma Line, with continued discussions for Kesennuma-shi. Subsequently, Kesennuma-shi expressed its acceptance in March 2016, and full-scale restoration by BRT was decided for the Kesennuma Line as well. As a result, the only railway lines with zones where service is still suspended are two of Japan Railways East Japan lines (JR Yamada Line and Joban Line).

As for the Yamada Line, JR East and relevant parties, including local government bodies, agreed to transfer the management of the line from JR East to Sanriku Railway in February 2015. The restoration work, which started on March 2015, is now underway, targeting completion by the end of FY 2018.

In regards to the Joban Line, the policy to resume operations for the entire line in the future was decided in March 2015. In March 2016, the previously undecided target date for the opening of the route between the Namie and Tomioka stations was scheduled at the end of FY 2019. This provides the clear prospect of resuming operations for the entire Joban Line $ ^{2} $ .

## (8) Ports/Harbors

For the ports and harbors, the disaster restoration of the port/harbor facilities vital to industry and logistics was mostly completed in FY 2014. The restoration of the bay mouth breakwater will be continued according to plan, while the port/harbor facilities that are foundational to the economic recovery, such as quay walls and breakwater, have been repaired. The Japan Coast Guard plans to complete the restoration of incomplete 16 (as of March 2016) of the 158 aids to navigation that were damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake in concert with the restoration of ports and harbors and breakwaters.

Meanwhile, the sea area landfill sites of the 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.