Hidaka Expressway

The name Hidaka ("sun high") is derived from the province of the same name established in 1869, which in turn was named after an unknown country "in the Eastern wilds" called Hitakami in the Nihonshoki, a history book written in 720. There is no direct connection between the Hitakami of the Nihonshoki and the modern Hidaka Subprefecture.[3]

A variable-message sign tells drivers that a section of the Hidaka Expressway is damaged in the aftermath of the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake.

The first section of the Hidaka Expressway to open was a 19.7-kilometer (12.2 mi)-long section between the western terminus at the Dō-Ō Expressway in Tomakomai and Atsuma in 1998.[4] In consideration of the effects of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, it was decided by MLIT that future sections of the expressway should follow a path further inland to avoid inundation by a tsunami. This decision has delayed further construction of the expressway.[5]

The expressway was temporarily closed after being damaged by the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake.[6]

Construction of the expressway is to be continued east to the town of Urakawa on the southeastern point of the island of Hokkaido.[7]

The entire expressway is in Hokkaido.

Location	km[1]	mi	Exit	Name	Destinations	Notes
Tomakomai	0	0.0	22/TB	Tomakomai-higashi	Dō-Ō Expressway – Muroran, Sapporo	Western terminus
	4.0	2.5	1	Numanohata-nishi	National Route 235  – Central Tomakomai, Iwamizawa (Taiheiyō Ferry – to Hachinohe, Sendai, Nagoya)	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance
	7.9	4.9	2	Numanohata-higashi	National Route 235 – Central Tomakomai, Iwamizawa	Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
	11.8	7.3	3	Tomato-chuo	National Route 235 – Central Tomakomai, Urakawa
Atsuma	19.7	12.2	4	Atsuma	Hokkaido Route 287 – Central Atsuma, Urakawa
Mukawa	28.1	17.5	5	Mukawa	Hokkaido Route 10 – Central Mukawa, Atsuma
Hidaka	39.9	24.8	6	Hidakatomikawa	National Route 237 – Hidaka, Urakawa
	45.7	28.4	7	Hidakamonbetsu	Hokkaido Route 351 – Urakawa, Hirotomi	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance
	59.9	37.2	8	Hidaka Atsuga	Hokkaido Route 208 – Central Atsuga, Shinwa	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance. Eastern terminus as of December 2018
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Electronic toll collection       Incomplete access