Keinawa Expressway
The Keinawa Expressway (京奈和自動車道, Keinawa jidōsha-dō) is a 104.9-km-long (65.2 mile) north–south (physically northeast–southwest) National Highway with access control (一般国道自動車専用道路 Ippan-kokudō jidōsha-sen-yō-dōro) in the Kinki region of Japan that connects Kyoto Prefecture to Wakayama Prefecture via Nara Prefecture. It is numbered "E24" under Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Expressway Numbering Systemg."[1]
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.png.webp){kind=small} 京奈和自動車道 (Keinawa jidōsha-dō) | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 104.9 km (65.2 mi) |
| Existed | 1988–present |
| Component highways | |
| Major junctions | |
| North end |  National Route 24 at Joyo Interchange in Jōyō |
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| South end | .png.webp){kind=small} .png.webp){kind=small} Hanwa Expressway at Wakayama Junction in Wakayama, Wakayama |
| Highway system | |
| National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan | |
Route description
The Keinawa Expressway generally follows the path of Japan National Route 24 from Kyoto to Wakayama. It begins at an interchange with the Shin-Meishin Expressway near Kyoto City. From Kyoto the expressway travels south through Kansai Science City and Nara Prefecture, then crosses into Wakayama where it runs along the southern side of the Kisen Alps while travelling southwest towards Wakayama where it comes to an end at a junction with the Hanwa Expressway. There are some gaps in the expressway that are linked by the previously named national highway. The purpose of this route is to serve as a high-speed route from Kyoto to Wakayama, bypassing Osaka to the west.
Naming
The name Keinawa is a Sino-Japanese pronunciation of a three-character kanji acronym for Kyoto, Nara, and Wakayama (京奈和) that are the names of the three prefectures in the Kinki region that the Keinawa Expressway links. The first character of the three-character kanji that represents Kyoto (京都) is pronounced as kei, whereas the second character of the kanji that represents Nara (奈良) and the third character of it represents Wakayama (和歌山) are pronounced as na and wa respectively.
History
The highway was first proposed in 1973 as bypasses in the Kinki region that were not connected. The first section of the expressway connecting Jōyō, Kyoto and Kyotanabe, Kyoto was opened in 1988.[2] The most recent section to open as of May 2018 was between the southern terminus with the Hanwa Expressway and Iwade-Negoro in Wakayama.[3]
Interchange list
| Prefecture | Location | km | mi | Exit | Name | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto | Jōyō | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | Joyo | National Route 24 – Kyoto, Nara | Northern terminus; northern terminus of Keina Road |
| 9 | Joyo Junction | .png.webp){kind=small} Shin-Meishin Expressway – Kadoma, Kyoto City | |||||
| Kyōtanabe | 1.6 | 0.99 | 2 | Tanabe-kita | Tanabe-kita, Yawata | Toll outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance | |
| Tanabe-nishi Toll Gate (inbound (northbound)) | |||||||
| 5.1 | 3.2 | 3 | Tanabe-nishi |  National Route 307 – Tanabe-nishi, Hirakata | Toll exits and outbound (southbound) entrance | ||
| Seika | 9.0 | 5.6 | 4 | Seika-Shimokoma | Seika-Shimokoma | Toll exits and inbound (northbound) entrance | |
| Seika-Shimokoma Toll Gate (outbound (southbound)) | |||||||
| Kizugawa | 12.4 | 7.7 | 5 | Seika-Gakken | Seika-Gakken | Toll inbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance | |
| Seika | 14.0 | 8.7 | 6 | Yamadagawa |  National Route 163 – Yamadagawa | ||
| Kizugawa | 17.0 | 10.6 | 7 | Kizu | National Route 24 – Kizu, Nara | Toll outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance; southern terminus of Keina Road | |
| Nara | Nara | – | Nara-kita | Inbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance; northern terminus of Yamato-kita Road (under construction) | |||
| 6.1 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by National Route 24 | |||||||
| 23.1 | 14.4 | – | Nara | ||||
| 2.0 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by National Route 24 | |||||||
| Yamatokōriyama | 25.1 | 15.6 | – | Yamatokoriyama-kita | |||
| 3.7 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by National Route 24 | |||||||
| 28.8 | 17.9 | – | Yamatokoriyama | Outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance | |||
| 0.6 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by National Route 24 | |||||||
| 29.4 | 18.3 | 4-2 | Koriyama-shimotsumichi Junction | .png.webp){kind=small} Nishi-Meihan Expressway – Osaka, Nagoya | Toll westbound exit and southbound entrance from eastbound only; southern terminus of Yamato-kita Road (under construction); northern terminus of Yamato-Gojo Road | ||
| Tenri | 31.0 | 19.3 | 8 | Koriyama-minami | National Route 24 – Koriyama-minami, Nara | Inbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance; traffic continuing to the Kyoto portion (Keina Road) of the Keinawa Expressway must exit here | |
| Miyake | 33.3 | 20.7 | – | Miyake | Miyake, Tawaramoto | Outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance | |
| Tawaramoto | 36.8 | 22.9 | – | Tawaramoto |  奈良県道14号標識 | Inbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance | |
| Kashihara | 38.8 | 24.1 | 9 | Kashihara-kita | National Route 24 – Kashihara-kita, Yamatotakada | Outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance | |
| 4.4 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by National Route 24 | |||||||
| 43.2 | 26.8 | – | Kashihara-Takada |  National Route 24 / National Route 165 (Yamato-Takada Bypass) – Kashihara, Yamatotakada | Inbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance | ||
| 46.9 | 29.1 | – | Gose | National Route 24 – Gose, Takatori | |||
| Gose | 49.4 | 30.7 | – | Gose-minami |  National Route 24 / National Route 309 – Gose-minami, Oyodo | Outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance | |
| Gose-minami Parking Area as Gosenosato Rest Area (inbound (northbound)) | |||||||
| Koseyama Tunnel | |||||||
| Asamachi Tunnel | |||||||
| Kamokimi Tunnel | |||||||
| Gojō | 56.6 | 35.2 | 10 | Gojo-kita | National Route 24 – Gojo-kita, Oyodo | Southern terminus of Yamato-Gojo Road; northern terminus of Gojo Road | |
| 61.1 | 38.0 | 11 | Gojo |   National Route 310 to National Route 168 – Gojo, Totsukawa, Kawachinagano | |||
| Kamanokubo-higashi Tunnel | |||||||
| 63.2 | 39.3 | 12 | Gojo-nishi | National Route 24 – Gojo-nishi | Outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance; southern terminus of Gojo Road; northern terminus of Hashimoto Road | ||
| Hatakeda Tunnel | |||||||
| Wakayama | Hashimoto | 65.3 | 40.6 | 13 | Hashimoto-higashi | National Route 24 – Hashimoto-higashi | |
| 70.2 | 43.6 | 14 | Hashimoto |  National Route 371 to National Route 24 – Hashimoto, Koya | |||
| 75.8 | 47.1 | 15 | Koyaguchi | National Route 24 – Koyaguchi, Kudoyama | Southern terminus of Hashimoto Road; northern terminus of Kihoku-higashi Road | ||
| Katsuragi | 79.8 | 49.6 | 16 | Kihoku-Katsuragi | National Route 24 – Kihoku-Katsuragi, Koya | ||
| Parking Area as Michi-no-eki Katsuragi-nishi Rest Area | |||||||
| 81.8 | 50.8 | 17 | Katsuragi-nishi | Katsuragi-nishi | |||
| Kinokawa | 88.2 | 54.8 | 18 | Kinokawa-higashi | National Route 24 – Kinokawa-higashi | ||
| 92.7 | 57.6 | 19 | Kinokawa | National Route 24 – Kinokawa | Southern terminus of Kihoku-higashi Road; northern terminus of Kihoku-nishi Road | ||
| Shirutani Tunnel | |||||||
| Kasugayamajo Castle Tunnel | |||||||
| Negoro Tunnel | |||||||
| Iwade | 98.4 | 61.1 | 20 | Iwade-Negoro | National Route 24 – Iwade, Negoro | ||
| Iwade-Negoro Toll Gate (northern terminus of ticketed system) | |||||||
| Iwade Tunnel | |||||||
| Wakayama | 101.6– 104.9 | 63.1– 65.2 | 20-1 | Wakayama Junction | Hanwa Expressway – Hannan, Osaka, Wakayama, Shirahama; | Southern terminus; southern terminus of Kihoku-nishi Road | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- "Japan's Expressway Numbering System". Mlit.go.jp.
- "平成２０年度予算の新規事業採択について" (PDF). Kkr.mlit.go.jp. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- "京け い奈和な わ自動車道 紀北西き ほ く に し道路３月１８日（土）岩出い わ で根来ね ご ろIC～和歌山わ か やまJCTが開通します！～今回の開通により、阪和自動車道・京奈和自動車道が接続～" (PDF). Kkr.mlit.go.jp. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
See also
- Transport in Greater Osaka
- West Nippon Expressway Company
