Shuto Expressway (首都高速道路 Shuto Kōsoku Dōro, lit. Metropolitan Expressway) is a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd. (首都高速道路株式会社 Shuto Kōsoku Dōro Kabushiki-gaisha).
Most routes consist of elevated roadway above other roads or over water, and have many sharp curves which require caution to drive safely. Tunnels are also used on routes near the waterfront and Haneda airport.
Speed limit is 60 km/h in most routes, but 80 km/h in Bayshore Route, and 50 km/h in Inner Circular Route.
All trips on the expressway require a toll be paid, but unlike most expressways in Japan, though similar to the Hanshin Expressway system in Osaka, the toll is the same regardless of distance travelled. As of 2008, the toll for a standard-size car is ¥700 on Tokyo routes (both circular and radial), ¥600 on Kanagawa routes and ¥400 yen on Saitama routes. For large vehicles, the toll is doubled. There are plans to change from fixed tolls to distance tolls in the future.
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Routes
There are 24 routes currently in operation:
Circular (loop) routes
- C1 Inner Circular Route
- C2 Central Circular Route — loop is currently incomplete; the Yamate Tunnel, a major extension, opened on December 22, 2007.
- Y Yaesu Route — via Tokyo Expressway
Radial routes
- No. 1 Ueno Route (Edobashi JCT - Iriya)
- No. 1 Haneda Route (Hamazaki-bashi JCT - Haneda)
- No. 2 Meguro Route (Ichinohashi JCT - Togoshi)
- No. 3 Shibuya Route (Tanimachi JCT - Yoga)
- No. 4 Shinjuku Route (Miyakezaka JCT - Takaido)
- No. 5 Ikebukuro Route (Takebashi JCT - Bijogi JCT)
- No. 6 Mukojima Route (Edobashi JCT - Horikiri JCT)
- No. 6 Misato Route (Kosuge JCT - Misato JCT)
- No. 7 Komatsugawa Route (Ryogoku JCT - Yagochi)
- No. 9 Fukagawa Route (Hakozaki JCT - Tatsumi JCT)
- No. 10 Harumi Route (under construction)
- No. 11 Daiba Route (Shibaura JCT - Ariake JCT)
- S1 Kawaguchi Route (Kohoku JCT - Kawaguchi JCT)
- B Bayshore Route (Kawasaki-ukishima JCT - Koya)
Kanagawa routes
- K1 Yokohane Route (Haneda - Ishikawa-cho JCT)
- K2 Mitsusawa Route (Kinko JCT - Mitsuzawa)
- K3 Kariba Route (Honmoku JCT - Kariba)
- K5 Daikoku Route (Namamugi JCT - Daikoku JCT)
- K6 Kawasaki Route (Tonomachi - Kawasaki-ukishima JCT)
- B Bayshore Route (Namiki - Kawasaki-ukishima JCT) (Yokohama Circular Route (under construction)')
Saitama routes
- S2 Saitama Shintoshin Route (Yono - Saitama-Minuma)
- S5 Omiya Route (Bijogi JCT - Yono)
History
The Metropolitan Expressway was first built between Kyobashi Exit in Chūō, Tokyo and Shibaura Exit in Minato, Tokyo in 1962 for the purpose of increasing traffic flow efficiency in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, thus optimizing and improving the functionality of the traffic system. Since then, 280 kilometres of highway network has been built in the Tokyo metropolitan area; 30 kilometres more of highway are either constructed or planned, making the Metropolitan Expressway a vast network of urban expressway in the Tokyo region.
Even though a legal amendment on 1 April 2005 generally allows a person aged at least 20 with a motorcycle driver license for at least 3 years to carry a passenger on a two-wheel motorcycle on a freeway, some segments including C1 line of the Shuto Expressway still prohibits passengers on two-wheel motorcycles. See also the map in Japanese. Motorcycles with passengers cannot pass through the Shuto Expressway from the Tomei Expressway to other expressways.
Street racing
Like all others expressways in Japan including the Tomei Expressway, the Shuto line has become a common street racing road. One of the line Bayshore Route (or known as the Wangan by hashiriyas) received worldwide notoriety during the 90's was the home course for the MidNight Club, one of the most notorious street racing clubs, who were known for their 300 km/h, sometimes 320 km/h exploits.
Due to this infamy, the Wangan is the setting for several entertainment properties, such as the manga and arcade game Wangan Midnight, video game Shutokou Battle and the movie series Shuto Kousoku Trial. Numerous car enthusiast magazines and DVDs, like Best Motoring, also highlight races and activities on the Wangan.[1][2][3]
References
See also
External links
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