Higashi-Meihan Expressway

The Higashi-Meihan Expressway (東名阪自動車道, Higashimeihan Jidōshadō) is a four lane national expressway in the Tōkai region of Japan. It is owned and operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company.

Higashi-Meihan Expressway
E23 東名阪自動車道
Map
Route information
Length55.1 km (34.2 mi)
Existed1970[1]–present
Major junctions
FromNagoya-nishi Junction in Nagoya
Nagoya Expressway Mamba Route
Mei-Nikan Expressway
ToIse-Seki Interchange in Tsu, Mie
Ise Expressway
Location
CountryJapan
Major citiesAma, Aisai, Yatomi, Kuwana, Yokkaichi, Suzuka, Kameyama
Highway system

Naming

Meihan is a kanji acronym of two characters. The first character represents Nagoya (古屋) and the second character represents Osaka (大). Higashi (東) means east; together with the Meihan Expressway and Nishi-Meihan Expressway, it forms a corridor linking the greater Nagoya and Osaka areas.

Officially, the route is designated as the Kinki Expressway Nagoya Osaka Route,[2] however this designation does not appear on any signage. In some areas, signs on the route are written in Japanese as 名阪道 or ひがし名阪道; this is to prevent confusion with the Tōmei Expressway which looks similar when written in Japanese.

Route description

Higashi-Meihan Expressway in Yokkaichi.

The expressway runs from Nagoya-nishi Junction in Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya to Ise-Seki Interchange in Tsu. The expressway is built to the same standards as most other national expressways, with tolls being charged according to the distance traveled. It has at least two lanes in each direction, with three in some sections.[3]

History

The first section of what would later become the Higashi-Meihan Expressway opened to traffic in 1970.[1]

In March 2023, a "Higashi-Meihan car crash" occurred near the Kameyama Junction in Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture, killing three people and seriously injuring five others.

List of interchanges and features

The exit numbers continue from the sequence of the Mei-Nikan Expressway, starting at 23.

No.NameConnectionsDist. from
Nagoya-nishi JCT
Bus StopNotesLocation
Through to Nagoya Expressway Manba Route
23Nagoya-nishi JCT Mei-Nikan Expressway0.0Nakagawa-ku, NagoyaAichi Prefecture
24Nagoya-nishi ICPref. Route 40 (Nagoya Kanie Yatomi Route)0.8
TBNagoya-nishi Toll GateAma
25Kanie ICPref. Route 65 (Ichinomiya Kanie Route)3.6Kanie
-Saya JCT Ichinomiya-Nishiko Road (planned)Aisai
26Yatomi IC National Route 155 (Yatomi Bypass)9.0Yatomi
27Nagashima ICPref. Route 7 (Suigō Kōen Route)
Pref. Route 117 (Tado Nagashima Route)
Pref. Route 168 (Tatsuta Nagashima Inter Route)
12.7KuwanaMie
28Kuwana-higashi IC National Route 25816.0
PAŌyamada PA17.0
29Kuwana ICPref. Route 63 (Hoshigawa Nishibessho Route)19.9
29-1Yokkaichi JCT Isewangan Expressway / Shin-Meishin Expressway23.3Yokkaichi
BSChiyoda Bus StopXClosed
30Yokkaichi-higashi ICPref. Route 64 (Kamiebi Mochibuku Route)25.8
SAGozaisho SA27.2
BSAgata Bus StopXClosed
31Yokkaichi IC National Route 47732.2
BSNishiyama Bus StopXClosed
32Suzuka ICPref. Route 27 (Kanbe Nagasawa Route)41.8Suzuka
TBSuzuka Toll GateClosed March 13, 2005
32-1Kameyama JCT Shin-Meishin Expressway46.9Kameyama
BSSumiyama Bus StopXClosed
PAKameyama PA/
SIC
52.1Highway Oasis
33Kameyama IC National Route 1 (Seki Bypass) / National Route 25 / Meihan Expressway53.2Ise-Seki-bound exit, Nagoya-bound entrance only
34Ise-Seki IC National Route 25 / Meihan Expressway55.1Ise-Seki IC ←→ Higashi-Meihan: No AccessTsu
Through to Ise Expressway

References