The Kakita Tunnel, the longest of the five tunnels in the project section at 1,638 m, will be used for the outbound direction (toward Toyota Higashi JCT) after the four lanes are completed. Excavation began in October 2020 using the NATM (Natom) method, in which the face is blasted and the surface is reinforced with sprayed concrete and rock bolts. The excavation was completed in about 27 months, and the penetration ceremony was held this time.
In the already opened eastbound section between Toki JCT and Kani Mitake IC (10.4km), the project to expand the current provisional two lanes to four lanes was started in March 2018 for 6.0km on the Kani Mitake IC side and in March 2020 for 4.4km on the Toki JCT side, respectively, with construction underway for early completion.
The Tokai Loop Road is a high-standard road extending approximately 153 km across Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures. The eastbound section is called “eastbound” and the westbound section is called “westbound,” extending approximately 76 km and 77 km, respectively, from the Seki-Hiromi IC to the Toyoda-Higashi JCT to the Seki-Hiromi IC. Currently, construction is underway on the westbound sections of the road that have not yet been opened: the Yamagata IC to Ono Kobe IC and the Yoro IC to Daian IC. These sections are scheduled to open to traffic in FY2024-2026.
In commemoration of the opening, “penetrating stones” will be distributed free of charge according to the following guidelines.
The 6.0 km road on the Kani Mitake IC side, including the Kakita Tunnel, is scheduled to open in FY2023, while the 4.4 km road on the Toki JCT side has not yet been announced.
About 60 people attended the opening ceremony.
The ceremony was held in the pit near the Toki JCT side entrance of the Kakita Tunnel. First, the guests of honor performed the penetration blasting as a ceremony to mark the tunnel penetration. After the staff members confirmed the penetration, Mr. Yoshiyasu Fujiwara, General Manager of Gifu Construction Office, Nagoya Branch Office of NEXCO Central Japan, reported that “the tunnel was successfully penetrated without any errors according to the design. The opening of the tunnel was celebrated with a ceremony to purify the penetration point and a ceremony to mark the beginning of the passage through the tunnel.
Mitsuji Ikeda, General Manager of Nagoya Branch Office of NEXCO Central Japan, who took the stage as the client, commented that “the construction of the Kakita Tunnel was a very difficult work that required even more precise and careful construction because of the proximity of the expressway in service and the low soil cover in some sections,” and thanked the construction workers for “making it possible to reach the day of penetration without any accidents. He expressed his gratitude to those involved in the construction.
While noting that “difficult construction work will continue, with many tunnels and bridges being constructed right next to the expressway that is in service,” he said, “We will steadily promote the project with the goal of starting operations as soon as possible, placing safety as the top priority.
Mr. Shunpei Kaneko, a member of the House of Representatives, who was the first guest of honor to deliver a congratulatory speech, said that with the recent penetration, “we are finally close to the Kani Mitake (interchange)” and that he would “push forward to accomplish the local dream” in the direction of the Seki IC ahead.
Mr. Takeyuki Watanabe, a member of the House of Councilors, said that when he was Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, the most common requests he received nationwide were to “eliminate the ‘missing link'” on expressways and to “make four lanes. He stated that this section is progressing well and that he would like to continue to work on it.
House of Councilors member Yasumasa Ohno said that four-laning is the most important thing for maintaining functionality and resilience, and that he will make every effort to have the entire route four-laned as soon as possible.
Gifu Prefectural Assembly Vice-Chairman, Mr. Ohhiro Kato, read the congratulatory address of Mr. Masamitsu Hiraiwa, Chairman of the Gifu Prefectural Assembly, in his place. In his speech, Mr. Kato stated that the Tokai Loop Road is expected to “support the daily lives of residents and local economic activities in our prefecture, which is a motorized society,” and “enhance its function as an emergency transportation road in the event of a disaster.
Since the start of service in 2005, the route has shown significant stock effects such as “concentration of automobile industry in cities, towns, and villages along the route” and “promotion of new business advancement and employment,” but for even greater effects, “it is essential to improve the efficiency of logistics and the attractiveness of wide-area tourism by making the eastbound section four lanes. However, in order to achieve even greater benefits, “it is essential to make the eastbound section four lanes to improve the efficiency of logistics and the attractiveness of wide-area tourism,” and “we will make further efforts toward the early opening of the westbound route.
Kani Mayor Shigeteru Tomita prefaced his remarks by saying, “I can only express my gratitude to the residents and many companies for steadily advancing the long-cherished wish of the residents. He also mentioned that there had been “not a single complaint” from the residents along the route, and stated that “the people involved in the construction have proceeded with great care and safety.
After the opening of the sake barrel by the guests, Mr. Hiroto Fujii, Mayor of Minokamo City and Chairman of the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway Construction Promotion Council, expressed his gratitude and proposed a toast.
Mr. Yuichi Yamamoto, Managing Executive Officer and General Manager of the Nagoya Branch of Obayashi Corporation, took the stage on behalf of the contractor, explaining that the four-lane construction was a “significant and important project” and that the company had “mobilized all of its technology and experience to ensure process compliance and strict quality control. He noted that despite various difficulties, such as the “excavation of a tunnel with a very shallow soil cover,” the tunnel has been completed. He added that they are now entering the “full-fledged finishing phase,” and that they will “make every possible effort to ensure the quality and safety of the construction work until completion, as well as the safety of traffic on the shared-use path, in good faith.
© Source travel watch
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