page_title: Chūō Expressway
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Chūō Expressway / History
caption_attribution_description: Mt. Fuji viewed from the Chuo Expressway in or near Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
context_page_description: The Chūō Expressway is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by NEXCO Central.
context_section_description: December 15, 1967 - Chōfu Interchange - Hachiōji Interchange section opened.
  December 20, 1968 - Hachiōji Interchange - Sagamiko Interchange section opened.
  March 17, 1969 - Sagamiko Interchange - Kawaguchiko Interchange section opened.
  October 5, 1972 - Tajimi Interchange - Komaki Junction section opened, connecting with the Tōmei Expressway.
  September 6, 1973 - Mizunami Interchange - Tajimi Interchange section opened.
  March 5, 1975 - Nakatsugawa Interchange - Mizunami Interchange section opened.
  August 23, 1975 - Komagane Interchange - Nakatsugawa Interchange section opened (Enasan Tunnel opened with 2 lanes of traffic only).
  May 18, 1976 - Takaido Interchange - Chōfu Interchange section opened.
  September 18, 1976 - Ihoku Interchange - Komagane Interchange section opened.
  December 19, 1976 - Nirasaki Interchange - Kobuchisawa Interchange section opened.
  December 20, 1977 - Ōtsuki Junction - Katsunuma Interchange section opened.
  November 16, 1979 - Komaki-higashi Interchange opened.
  March 26, 1980 - Kōfu-Shōwa Interchange - Nirasaki Interchange section opened.
  March 30, 1981 - Kobuchisawa Interchange - Ihoku Interchange section opened.
  November 10, 1982 - Katsunuma Interchange - Kōfu-Shōwa Interchange section opened, completing the entire route.
  November, 1984 - Tsuru Interchange opened.
  March 25, 1986 - Okaya Junction - Okaya Interchange section opened.
  August 28, 1986 - Connection to Higashifuji-goko Road at Kawaguchiko Interchange is completed.
  September 27, 1986 - Nagasaka Interchange opened.
  March 5, 1988 - Okaya Junction - Okaya Interchange section is transferred to the Nagano Expressway.
  September 27, 1989 - Uenohara Interchange opened.
  March 25, 1992 - Sonohara Interchange opened.
  January, 1993 - Renovation of Dangōzaka Service Area completed. The Komaki-bound service area is moved 2 km closer to Tokyo, while the Tokyo-bound service area is moved to the former site of the Komaki-bound service area.
  April 14, 1995 - Inagi Interchange opened.
  March 24, 2002 - Futaba Junction is opened, connecting with the Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway.
  March 16, 2003 - Reconstruction of the Uenohara Interchange - Ōtsuki Junction section is completed (additional lanes added, areas with sharp curves abandoned, Tokyo-bound Dangōzaka Service Area renovated, area near Ōtsuki Junction susceptible to traffic weaving eliminated).
  March 19, 2005 - Toki Junction is opened, connecting with the Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway.
  October 1, 2005 - Expressway management is transferred from Japan Highway Public Corporation to Central Nippon Expressway Company as a result of the privatization of the national expressway network.
  October 1, 2006 - Futaba Smart Interchange opened.
  June 23, 2007 - Hachiōji Junction is opened, connecting with the Ken-Ō Expressway.
  December 2, 2012 - Sasago Tunnel collapses, killing nine people.
caption: The Chūō Expressway affords many fine views of Mount Fuji.
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