Kita-Kantō Expressway

The Kita-Kantō Expressway (北関東自動車道, Kita-Kantō Jidōsha-dō) (lit. North Kantō Expressway) is a 4-laned national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Kita-Kantō Expressway sign
Kita-Kantō Expressway
北関東自動車道 E50
Map
Route information
Length87.3 km[2] (54.2 mi)
Existed2000[1]–present
Major junctions
FromTakasaki Junction in Takasaki, Gunma
Kan-Etsu Expressway
ToMito-minani Interchange in Mito, Ibaraki
E50 Higashi-Mito Road
National Route 6
Location
CountryJapan
Major citiesMaebashi, Isesaki, Ōta, Shimotsuke, Utsunomiya, Mooka, Sakuragawa, Kasama
Highway system
Expressway and Mt. Nikko

Overview

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The route connects the capitals of the three northern prefectures in the Kantō region: Maebashi, Utsunomiya, and Mito.

The expressway begins at a junction with the Kan-etsu Expressway in Gunma Prefecture and heads east along the southern edge of the prefecture. The route ends abruptly in the city of Ōta, however the route will be extended to a junction with the Tōhoku Expressway in Tochigi Prefecture by 2011.[3] The expressway then follows the route of the Tōhoku Expressway northward for about 13 km, then diverges from this expressway following an easterly course once more. It runs through the southern areas of Utsunomiya and heads into eastern areas of Tochigi Prefecture, where the route terminates once again in the city of Mooka. The section connecting Tochigi and Ibaraki Prefectures was scheduled to be completed in 2009.[3] From Sakuragawa in western Ibaraki, the route continues towards a junction with the Jōban Expressway and runs along the southern edge of the Mito city area, where the expressway has its final terminus. At the terminus, the Higashi-Mito Road continues towards the Pacific Ocean coastline using the same roadway.

The route runs parallel to National Route 50 for most of its length.

List of interchanges and features

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PrefectureLocationkmmiExitNameDestinationsNotes
GunmaTakasaki0.00.09-2Takasaki JCT  Kan-etsu ExpresswayRoadway continues as Kan-etsu Expressway
Tonegawa Bridge over the Tone River
Maebashi31.91Maebashi-minami IC  Prefecture Route 11 (Maebashi Tamamura Route)
7.54.72Komagawa IC  Prefecture Route 2 (Maebashi Tatebayashi Route)
Isesaki11.77.32-1
PA
Hashie PA/SICConvenience store attached
14.59.03Isesaki IC  National Route 17
Ōta19.912.44Ōta-Yabuzuka IC  Prefecture Route 315 (Ōhara Sakai Mitsugi Route)
26.616.54-1
PA
Ōta-Gōdo PA/SICGas station attached
30.519.05Ōta-Kiryū IC  National Route 122
TochigiAshikaga34.321.3-Ashikaga SICScheduled to open in 2028
40.825.46Ashikaga IC  National Route 293
47296-1
PA
Izuruhara PA/SIC  Prefecture Route 175 (Yamagata Teraoka Route)
Sano49.130.57Sano-Tanuma IC  Prefecture Route 347
Tochigi54.433.87-1Iwafune JCT  Tōhoku Expressway
68428-1Tochigi-Tsuga JCT  Tōhoku Expressway
71.844.68Tsuga IC  Prefecture Route 3 (Utsunomiya Kamewada Tochigi Route)
Mibu76.647.6PAMibu PA
78.148.59Mibu IC  Prefecture Route 71Hanyūda Kamikamou Route
Shimotsuke82.351.1-Shimotsuke SICExpected to open FY2025
Utsunomiya86.553.710Utsunomiya-Kaminokawa IC  National Route 4
Mooka94.258.511Mooka IC  National Route 408
-Gogyo River PA(Provisional name)
IbarakiSakuragawa108.967.712Sakuragawa-Chikusei IC  National Route 50
Kasama117.873.213Kasama-nishi IC  Prefecture Route 64Tsuchiura Kasama Route Bypass
125.578.0PAKasama PA/SIC
126.978.914Tomobe IC  National Route 355  Prefecture Route 16 (Ōarai Tomobe Route)
134.383.58-2Tomobe JCT  Jōban Expressway
Ibaraki138.486.015Ibarakimachi-nishi IC  Prefecture Route 59 (Tamari Mito Route)
140.687.415-1Ibaraki JCT  Higashi-Kantō Expressway
145.290.216Ibarakimachi-higashi IC  National Route 6
Mito148.692.317Mito-minami IC  National Route 6
Through to   Higashi-Mito Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ "Ibaraki Prefecture Website". Archived from the original on 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  2. ^ "E-NEXCO Expressway Data". Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  3. ^ a b "E-NEXCO Opening Schedule". Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
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