Jōshin-etsu Expressway

The Jōshin-etsu Expressway (上信越自動車道, Jōshin'etsu Jidōshadō) is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.

Jōshin-etsu Expressway
上信越自動車道
Route information
Length	204.9 km[1] (127.3 mi)
Existed	1980[2]–present
Major junctions
From	Kan-etsu Expressway Fujioka Junction in Fujioka, Gunma (36.2732°N 139.0902°E / 36.2732; 139.0902)
To	Hokuriku Expressway Jōetsu Junction in Jōetsu, Niigata (37.1371°N 138.2139°E / 37.1371; 138.2139)
Location
Country	Japan
Major cities	Tomioka, Annaka, Saku, Komoro, Ueda, Chikuma, Nagano, Nakano, Myōkō
Highway system
National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan

Naming

Jōshin-etsu (上信越; Japanese pronunciation: [dʑoː.ɕiꜜɰ̃.e.tsɯ]^[3]) is a kanji acronym consisting of 3 characters, each representing the former names of the prefectures that the route traverses. Kōzuke Province (上野国) consists of present-day Gunma Prefecture, Shinano Province (信濃国) consists of present-day Nagano Prefecture, and Echigo Province (越後国) consists of present-day Niigata Prefecture.

Officially, the expressway is referred to as the Kan-Etsu Expressway Jōetsu Route. This designation consists of the entire Jōshin-etsu Expressway as well as the Kan-Etsu Expressway beyond Fujioka Junction to Nerima Interchange (concurrent with the Kan-Etsu Expressway Niigata Route).^[4]

Route description

Expressway in Ueda, Nagano

Jōshin-etsu Expressway Fujioka interchange at sunset

The expressway begins at a junction with the Kan-Etsu Expressway in southern Gunma Prefecture and heads west, paralleling National Route 254 until Shimonita. From here the route branches north, passing Mount Myōgi, then heads west once more from Annaka. The route parallels National Route 18 from this point until the terminus. The expressway then follows a winding route through the mountainous area separating Gunma and Nagano Prefectures. From Saku, Nagano the route follows a northwesterly course, passing Mount Asama, until it reaches a junction with the Nagano Expressway near the city of Nagano. The route then heads north, following the east bank of the Chikuma River, before heading into the mountainous region separating Nagano and Niigata Prefectures. The expressway continues north through Niigata Prefecture, passing Mount Myōkō, and eventually terminating at a junction with the Hokuriku Expressway in Jōetsu near the Japan Sea coastline.

The expressway is 6 lanes from Fujioka Junction to Fujioka Interchange. The remaining section from Fujioka Interchange to Jōetsu Junction is 4 lanes, from 5 December 2019 according to E-NEXCO.^[5]

History

The first section was completed in 1980 and the entire route was completed in 1999.^[6] On the night of 16 December 2020, about 300 vehicles were trapped on the expressway after a truck blocked it off due to it becoming stuck in the snow. In response, the company that manages the route supplied drivers who were stuck on the road until the next morning.^[7]

List of interchanges and features

• IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, CB - snow chains, TN - tunnel, BR - bridge

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Dist. from Terminus	Bus Stop	Notes	Speed Limit	Location
(9)	Fujioka JCT	Kan-etsu Expressway	0.0	204.9			80 km/h	Fujioka	Gunma
1/PA	Fujioka IC/PA	Pref. Route 13 (Maebashi Nagatoro Route)	1.8	203.1		Parking Area/Highway Oasis only accessible to Fujioka JCT-bound traffic
							100 km/h
2	Yoshii IC	Pref. Route 41 (Kanda Yoshii Teishajō Route)	11.2	193.7				Takasaki
PA	Kanra PA		15.4	189.5				Kanra
3	Tomioka IC		20.1	184.8	○			Tomioka
4	Shimonita IC	National Route 254	26.8	178.1	○			Shimonita
5	Matsuida-Myōgi IC Matsuida BS	Pref. Route 51 (Matsuida Shimonita Route)	37.5	167.4	○			Annaka
							80 km/h
SA	Yokokawa SA		42.1	162.8
BR	Usui Bridge		↓	↑
TN	Takaiwayama Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 1,019m Jōetsu-bound 1,070m
6	Usui-Karuizawa IC	Pref. Route 92 (Matsuida Karuizawa Route)	52.5	152.4	○
CB	Usui Chain Base		↓	↑
TN	Ōyama Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 1,722m Jōetsu-bound 1,625m
								Shimonita
TN	Nikkureyama Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 2,314m Jōetsu-bound 2,051m
TN	Takatachi Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 373m
TN	Happūzan Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 3,998m Jōetsu-bound 4,471m
								Saku	Nagano
CB	Kōsaka Chain Base		↓	↑
TN	Akarusan Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 1,703m Jōetsu-bound 1,960m
6-1/PA	Sakudaira PA/ SIC		68.4	136.5		Highway Oasis
7	Saku IC	Pref. Route 9 (Saku Karuizawa Route)	71.3	133.6	○
7-1	Saku-Komoro JCT	Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway	72.8	132.1				Komoro
BS	Komoro-Kōgen BS		78.0	126.9	○
8	Komoro IC	Pref. Route 79 (Komoro Ueda Route)	82.1	122.8
9/SA	Tōbu-Yunomaru IC/SA	Pref. Route 81 (Maruko Tōbu Inter Route)	88.6	116.3	○			Tōmi
10	Ueda-Sugadaira IC	National Route 144	96.9	108.0	○			Ueda
TN	Tarōyama Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 4,264m Jōetsu-bound 4,303m
								Sakaki
11	Sakaki IC	Pref. Route 91 (Sakaki Inter Route)	104.8	100.1
PA	Chikumagawa-Sakaki PA		106.2	98.7	○
TN	Gorigamine Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 4,518m Jōetsu-bound 4,474m
								Chikuma
TN	Mori Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 1,421m Jōetsu-bound 1,450m
BS	Yashiro BS		117.1	87.8	○
12	Kōshoku JCT	Nagano Expressway	119.1	85.8
							100 km/h
TN	Yakushiyama Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 1,212m Jōetsu-bound 1,181m
								Nagano
PA	Matsushiro PA		123.2	81.7
13	Nagano IC	Pref. Route 35 (Nagano Sanada Route)	125.1	79.8	○
BS	Wakaho BS		130.2	74.7	○
14	Suzaka-Naganohigashi IC	National Route 403	135.0	69.9
								Suzaka
BS	Suzaka BS		137.5	67.4	○
14-1/PA	Obuse PA/ SIC	Pref. Route 343 (Murayama Obuse Teishajō Route)	141.6	63.3		Highway Oasis		Obuse
BS	Obuse BS		143.2	61.7	○
15	Shinshū-Nakano IC	Pref. Route 29 (Nakano Toyono Route)	146.5	58.4				Nakano
							80 km/h
BS	Nakano BS		147.2	57.7	○
BR	Kita-Chikumagawa Bridge		↓	↑		Length - 370m Chikuma River crossing
CB	Kaesa Chain Base		↓	↑
16	Toyota-Iiyama IC	National Route 117	154.2	50.7
							70 km/h
BS	Toyota BS		155.0	49.9	○
TN	Nagae Tunnel		↓	↑
TN	Samizu Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 1,415m Jōetsu-bound 1,441m		Iizuna
TN	Yakushidake Tunnel		↓	↑		Fujioka-bound 2,320m Jōetsu-bound 2,362m
								Shinano
PA	Kurohime-Nojiriko PA		164.3	40.6
BS	Kashiwabara BS		166.2	38.7	○
17	Shinanomachi IC	National Route 18 (Nojiri Bypass)	167.4	37.5
BR	Reimei Bridge		↓	↑		Length - 370m Seki River crossing
								Myōkō	Niigata
18	Myōkōkōgen IC	National Route 18 (Myōkō Nojiri Bypass) Pref. Route 187 (Ikenotaira Myōkōkōgen Route)	172.5	32.4
BS	Myōkōkōgen BS		↓	↑	X	Bus Stop closed
SA	Myōkō SA		179.9	25.0	X	Bus Stop closed
19	Nakagō IC	National Route 18 (Jōshin Bypass)	184.5	20.4				Jōetsu
BS	Nakagō-kita BS		↓	↑	X	Bus Stop closed
19-1/PA	Arai PA/ SIC	Pref. Route 428 (Nishinoyashinden Arai Route)	191.9	13.0	X	Highway Oasis Bus Stop closed		Myōkō
TN	Kannondaira Tunnel		↓	↑		Length - 1,502m
20	Jōetsu-Takada IC	Pref. Route 85 (Jōetsu-Takada Inter Route)	199.0	5.9				Jōetsu
(31-1)	Jōetsu JCT	Hokuriku Expressway	204.9	0.0

There are also 2 snow chain changing areas between Toyota-Iiyama Interchange and Kurohime-Nojiriko Parking Area, and 1 area between Sakaki Interchange and Ueda-Sugadaira Interchange (Fujioka-bound only).