On January 31, the three NEXCO companies held a joint press conference in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, on their “Outline Expressway Renewal Plan. The speakers were Shigeki Yagi, Director and Executive Officer of NEXCO East Japan and General Manager of the Administration Division, Hitoshi Sakuma, General Manager of the Maintenance Department, Administration Division, NEXCO Central Japan, Satoshi Goda, General Manager of the Maintenance Planning Division, Maintenance Department, NEXCO Central Japan, and Hideki Kaji, General Manager of the Maintenance Service Department, Maintenance Service Division, NEXCO West Japan.
Mr. Yagi of NEXCO East Japan began by explaining the background of the expressway renewal project, noting that of the approximately 10,000 km of expressways managed by NEXCO (totaling approximately 20,000 km by up and down lines), approximately 30%, or approximately 3,000 km, or approximately 6,000 km, have been in service for more than 40 years, and that the total length of expressways under NEXCO’s management is approximately 1,000 km (total of approximately 6,000 km by up and down lines). In November 2012, the three NEXCO companies established the “Long-Term Maintenance Committee” for expressway assets.
In March 2015, the company began a renewal project for approximately 1,360 km (total of approximately 2,220 km for both the upper and lower lines).
Since the project was launched, a detailed survey based on periodic inspections every five years and the advancement of inspection technology at deformed sections revealed that there are approximately 500 km (total of approximately 960 km by upper and lower lines) where significant deformation has been confirmed and new renewal is required.
The three NEXCO companies explained that the replacement project of approximately 1 trillion yen is necessary as a countermeasure. The three NEXCO companies explained that approximately 1 trillion yen in renewal projects are necessary to address the issue.
The approximately 500 km (total of approximately 960 km by upper and lower lines) that require new renewal projects include the Seishon Bypass, prestressed concrete (PC) bridges such as the Tsangnami Bridge, the Kanetsu Expressway, and the pavement in the Tsuchitaru area.
According to Hideki Kaji, General Manager of the Maintenance Service Division of NEXCO West Japan, “The Cangnami Bridge on the E84 Seishon Bypass, which opened in 1971, is a 5685-m-long PC bridge. Due to salt damage, the bridge has deteriorated significantly, especially in areas where the PC steel filler material is insufficient. The advanced survey technology has made it possible to determine where the filler material is insufficient,” he said.
In the Kizu area of the E2 Sanyo Expressway (between Miki JCT and Kobe Nishi IC), which opened in 1998, ground anchors and other measures have been used repeatedly, but the deformation of the slope has not stopped, and groundwater and rainfall have caused the land to deteriorate and landslides to progress. The company plans to install a culvert on the highway’s main line and construct a push fill on top of the culvert.
The estimated project cost for these measures is approximately 250 billion yen for replacing bridge girders and reinjecting fill (approximately 50 km for each of the upper and lower lines), 450 billion yen for replacing floor slabs (approximately 30 km for each of the upper and lower lines), 240 billion yen for improving the durability of the pavement bed in earthwork and pavement (approximately 870 km for each of the upper and lower lines), and approximately 20 billion yen for box culvert and push fill for cut sections (approximately 8 km for each of the upper and lower lines). The replacement of cut-and-fill sections with box culverts and embankment fill (at two locations) will cost approximately 20 billion yen, and the replacement of fill materials (approximately 8 km for each of the upper and lower lines) will cost approximately 40 billion yen, for a total of approximately 1 trillion yen.
In addition, Yagi said, “We need to consider revising our renewal plan and measures, as new deformations and deterioration mechanisms other than those in the current renewal plan may be revealed through periodic inspections and detailed investigations using the latest technology, which we will continue to conduct in the future.
Since the renewal work will be carried out on routes that are still in service, the three NEXCO companies believe that “it is essential to take all possible safety measures and minimize the social impact of traffic restrictions and traffic congestion that may occur as a result of traffic restrictions. The company will work to improve productivity through technological development, reduce costs, strengthen its structure, and secure and train human resources to ensure the smooth and steady progress of the project.
© Source travel watch
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