The is a two-lane national expressway

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A Bypass route, bypass or beltway is not considered a spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the ...

Aomori , officially Aomori City (, ), is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 264,945 in 136,781 households, and a population density of 321 people per squa ...

Aomori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. It is owned and operated by

East Nippon Expressway Company The , abbreviated as , is one of the main operators of expressways and toll roads in Japan. It is headquartered in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company was established on October 1, 2005 as a result of the privatization of Japan Highway P ...

and is signed E4A as a direct extension and spur route of the Tōhoku Expressway.

Route description

The expressway is officially referred to as the Tōhoku Jūkan Expressway Hachinohe Route. The expressway serves as an extension to the Tōhoku Expressway (which terminates at Aomori Interchange) and runs through southern areas of the city of Aomori. From Aomori Interchange, it runs east, crossing under the tracks of the

Tōhoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line that runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island, Honshu. Operated by the East Japan Railway Company, it links Tokyo in the south to Aomori in the north, with ...

. Soon after the expressway meets the

Aomori Belt Highway The Aomori Belt Highway (青森環状道路 ''Aomori Kanjō-dōro'') is a major highway located entirely in the city of Aomori in northern Japan. Signed as National Route 7, it is a bypass that travels to the south of the central district of the ...

, a bypass of National Route 7, which serves for several kilometers from here as a

frontage road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. Where parallel high-speed roads are provided as part of a maj ...

to the expressway. Eventually, the two roads have are linked by the

Aomori-chūō Interchange The is a tolled single-point urban interchange along the Aomori Expressway in Aomori, Japan. It is the closest expressway interchange to the center of that city. The interchange is owned, tolled, and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. ...

where tolls are collected for the entire expressway, including any tolls accrued from traveling from the Tōhoku Expressway. The expressway continues east and splits from National Route 7 before it comes to its end at Aomori-higashi Interchange near the western terminus of the

Michinoku Toll Road The Michinoku Toll Road (みちのく有料道路 ''Michinoku Yūryōdōro'') is a two-lane expressway, two-lane toll road in Aomori Prefecture connecting the cities Aomori, Aomori, Aomori and Hachinohe, Aomori, Hachinohe via Shichinohe, Aomori, Sh ...

. The speed limit is 70 km/h for the entire route.

History

Construction on Aomori Expressway began in 1999 and it was opened to traffic on 28 September 2003. The completion of the expressway reduced travel times from the Tōhoku Expressway to Central Aomori by 11 minutes and reduced congestion along the

Aomori West Bypass The Aomori West Bypass (青森西バイパス Aomori Nishi Bypass) is a major highway located entirely in the city of Aomori, Aomori, Aomori in northern Japan. The highway main function is to link the western part of the city to its center. Signed ...

.事後評価結果（平成20年度）
(in Japanese)

Future

Though the Aomori Expressway terminates at Aomori-higashi Interchange, it is planned to eventually connect with the northern terminus of the

Hachinohe Expressway The is a 4-laned national expressway in the prefectures of Iwate and Aomori in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is a spur of the Tōhoku Expressway, primarily serving the city of Hachinohe. Signed as E4A, it is owned and operated by East Ni ...

in the town of Oirase via a series of

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...

Junction list

The entire expressway is in

. The expressway is a direct extension of the Tōhoku Expressway. Therefore, the distance and exit numbers continue from the sequence of the Tōhoku Expressway, starting at . , colspan="8" style="text-align: center;", Through to , colspan="8" style="text-align: center;", Through to

References

External links

*
East Nippon Expressway Company
{{Expressways of Japan Expressways in Japan Roads in Aomori Prefecture Tōhoku Expressway 2003 establishments in Japan