(

Asian Highway Network The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via hig ...

) is one of the

Expressways of Japan The of Japan make up a large network of controlled-access toll expressways. History Following World War II, Japan's economic revival led to a massive increase in personal automobile use. However the existing road system was inadequate ...

from

Kitakyūshū is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one o ...

(and the bridge to

Honshū , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...

) to west of

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

linking with the

Higashikyushu Expressway The is one of the expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū (and the bridge to Honshū) to east of Kagoshima linking with the Kyushu Expressway. It runs north to south, through the prefectures of Fukuoka, Oita, Miyazaki and the Kagoshima prefec ...

and the

Ibusuki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 37,594 in 17477 households, and a population density of 250 people per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Ibusuki is loc ...

Skyline. It runs through the prefectures of

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, the eastern half of the

Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

, Miyazaki (

Ebino is a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 16,397 in 7775 households, and a population density of 58 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Ebino is in far southwestern Mi ...

only) and the

prefectures. The freeway runs entirely on the island of

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...

. The total length is 346.2 km. It does not cover Ōita or

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

History

* June 30, 1971, a section from Ueki to Kumamoto was opened to traffic * October 21, 1972, a section from Nankan to Ueki opened to traffic * November 16, 1973, Tosu Interchange and Junction to Nankan was opened to traffic * December 13, 1973, Kajiki Interchange to Satsuma-Yoshida was opened to traffic * March 13, 1975, Koga Interchange to Tosu Junction was opened to traffic * March 4, 1976, Ebuno Junction with the Miyazaki Expressway to Ebuno Interchange was opened. * November 26, 1976, The section was opened to traffic from Kumatoto to Mifune Interchanges * November 29, 1976, a section from Mizobe Kagoshimna Airport to Kajiki Interchanges was opened * July 21, 1977, a section from Wakamiya to Koga was open to traffic * November 15, 1977, a section from Satsuma-Yoshida to Kagoshima-Kita Interchanges was opened * December 15, 1978, a section from Mifune to Matsubase Interchanges was opened * March 8, 1979, a section from Wakamiya to Yahata Interchanges was opened * March 12, 1980, a section from Matsubase to Yatsushiro Interchanges was opened * March 22, 1980 a section from Kurino to Mizobe-Kagoshima Airport was opened * October 1, 1981, a section from Ebuno Junction to Kurino Interchange opened made that section ran from Ebuno to Kagoshima-Kita interchanges that time * March 27, 1984, a section from Moji to Kokura-Higashi was opened which made access to the bridge with

* March 28, 1985, the Tosu Junction in the west was opened. * February 5, 1987, the Tosu Junction in the east was opened. * March 29, 1988, a section from Kagoshima-Kita to Kagoshima was opened with an interchange with the expressway. * March 31, 1988, a section from Kokura-Higashi to Yahata was opened to traffic * October 19, 1988, a section in the Kagoshima Interchange with the Minami Kyushu Expressway was opened * December 7, 1989, a section from Yatsushiro to Hitoyoshi was opened to traffic * March 25, 1992, a section in the Kajiki Interchange with the road was opened * March 31, 1993, the Shin-Moji Interchange was opened * July 27, 1995, a section from Hitoyoshi to Ebuno was opened to traffic which made the Kyushu Expressway from Moji to Kagoshima fully accessible with no gaps. * April 20, 1998, the Yatsushiro Junction was opened to traffic with another freeway * December 19, 2001, Kajiki Junction was opened to traffic * December 12, 2004, the tunnel from Hitoyoshi to Ebino Interchanges which made Kyushu Expressway with four lanes now being connected with no gaps * February 26, 2006, Kitakyushu Junction was opened to traffic with another freeway * March 29, 2009, the Miyama-Yanagawa Interchange was opened * February 19, 2011, the Kurate Interchange was opened * April 14, 2016, Many sections of the expressway were damaged during the

2016 Kumamoto earthquakes The were a series of earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.0 mainshock which struck at 01:25 Japan Standard Time, JST on April 16, 2016 (16:25 UTC on April 15) beneath Kumamoto, Kumamoto City of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, Kyu ...

. * April 29, 2016, The expressway reopened.

List of interchanges and features

* IC -

interchange Interchange may refer to: Transport * Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways * Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies * Interchange station, a rai ...

, SIC -

smart interchange A is a feature of Japanese expressways that provides exclusive access to and from the expressway for vehicles equipped with electronic toll collection (ETC). The feature increases accessibility to and from the expressway in less-populated areas w ...

, JCT -

junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (2012 film), an American film * ''Junction'' (2024 film), an American film * ''Jjunction'', a 2002 Indian film * ''Junction'' (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (E ...

, SA -

service area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway ser ...

, PA -

parking area A parking lot or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most jurisdic ...

, BS -

bus stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...

, TN -

tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

, TB -

toll gate Toll Gate or Tollgate may refer to: * Toll gate, a barrier across a toll road or toll bridge that is lifted when the toll is paid Entertainment * Tollgate (Hale single), "Tollgate" (Hale single) * ''The Toll-Gate'', a 1954 novel by Georgette Heye ...

, BR -

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

* Bus stops labeled "○" are currently in use; those marked "◆" are closed. *The section between Yatsushiro Junction and Ebino Interchange consists of tunnels that run in the mountainous areas; vehicles carrying

dangerous goods Dangerous goods are substances that are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment during transport. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabically abbreviate ...

are forbidden from travelling through these tunnels and must use alternate routes.

Lanes

* 6-lane, Dazaifu to Kurume Interchanges * 4-lane, Moji to Dazaifu Interchange and from Kurume to Kagoshima Interchanges

References

External links

* (in Japanese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kyushu Expressway Expressways in Japan AH1 Kyushu region 1971 establishments in Japan