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What is the NATM construction method? Rare Heavy Machinery at the Construction Site of the Yoro Tunnel on the Tokai Ring Road

Posted on 2023-05-012023-05-01 by Editor in Chief

The Yoro Tunnel North construction site was opened to the public this time, where the “main tunnel” that will be used as the main line for two-way traffic when the tunnel is tentatively opened and the “evacuation barrier” that will be used during disasters are being excavated. The “Evacuation Tunnel” will be used as the outer main line when the tunnel is converted to a four-lane roadway. Excavation of the former began in September 2022, and the latter in April 2022, with the former and latter having been excavated approximately 330 m and 500 m, respectively, to date.

The Yoro Tunnel is located between the Yoro IC and Hokusei IC, and is approximately 4.7 km long. 2.7 km of the north side (Yoro Tunnel North Construction) is handled by the Gifu Construction Office and 2.0 km of the south side (Yoro Tunnel South Construction) by the Yokkaichi Construction Office.

The Tokai Loop Road is a high-standard road spanning Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures, with a length of approximately 153 km. The eastbound section between Toyota-Higashi JCT and Seki-Hiromi IC was opened to traffic by 2009, with two temporary lanes north of Toki JCT. Construction is currently underway on the westbound sections (43 km) between Yamagata IC and Ono-Kobe IC, and between Yoro IC and Hokusei IC (tentative name) and Daian IC. The Yoro IC to Hokusei IC is scheduled to open in FY2026, while the Yoro IC to Ono Kobe IC and Hokusei IC to Daian IC are scheduled to open in FY2024.

Numerous construction projects underway in the Chukyo area

Prior to the site opening, Mr. Shunji Komuro, President and CEO of NEXCO Chunichi, explained the company’s construction projects in the Chukyo region. He explained that one of the company’s management policies is to “enhance expressway functions and evolve into an expressway space that is widely used by customers,” and that the company is working on the development of a new expressway network, the safety and reliability of the current expressway network, and countermeasures against congestion through the creation of four lanes and six lanes.

In the Chukyo region, the report noted that projects are underway to add four lanes on the Tokai Loop Expressway and other two-way traffic sections, six lanes on the New Meishin Expressway (E1A), additional lanes near the Ichinomiya JCT on the Meishin Expressway (E1) and Miyoshi IC on the Tomei Expressway (E1) where congestion is frequent, and smart IC installations.

In addition, in conjunction with the full opening of the Nagoya Second Loop Expressway (C2) in May 2021, “the same fare will be applied regardless of the route if the point of departure and arrival are the same,” enabling smooth travel by avoiding congested city centers. The company says that it is “building an expressway network that is increasingly easy to use through the expansion of the expressway network and the introduction of a rational toll system.

Regarding the Tokai Loop Highway, Mr. Kato said, “It is a high-standard trunk road spanning Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures, with a total length of 153 km. Currently, the remaining 19 km between the Yamagata IC and the Ono-Kobe IC, and the 25 km between the Yoro IC and the Daian IC are being jointly promoted with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, with the aim of opening the entire route to traffic in FY2026.

He also noted that “the Tokai region is one of Japan’s leading manufacturing areas with a high concentration of aircraft and automobile industries,” and that the Tokai Loop Road, which is already open, will create new jobs as many companies move in along the route. He also mentioned that the opening of the remaining section of the expressway will directly connect Mie and Gifu prefectures by expressway. We will make every effort to open the Tokai Loop Highway as soon as possible in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and with the understanding of the local community,” he said. We will do our utmost to promote the project in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Mr. Yoshiyasu Fujiwara, General Manager of Gifu Construction Office, Nagoya Branch Office of NEXCO Central Japan, gave an overview of the construction work. First, he introduced the Yoro Tunnel as “the first tunnel to penetrate the Yoro Mountains, which straddle the border between Gifu and Mie Prefectures,” and that “since it is a 4,700m long tunnel, it will be excavated from both the north and south sides.

He explained that the main tunnel and the escape ramp were excavated in parallel, with the main tunnel being “the road that people will actually use when the tunnel is in service,” and the escape ramp being “a dedicated evacuation tunnel parallel to the main tunnel in a long tunnel for two-way traffic. In the event of a fire or other emergency, drivers can use the tunnel to get around to the evacuation tunnel through the evacuation entrance,” he said. He also introduced the future use of the tunnel.

He continued with an explanation of the NATM method, which will be introduced in a later section, while also mentioning safety measures. In addition to measures to stabilize the “face,” which is the excavation surface of the tunnel, he also explained how to take workers’ safety into consideration, such as assigning face monitors, providing workers with protective clothing, and installing roofs on heavy machinery. In addition, he explained that the company has taken appropriate measures to deal with water springs, which are unavoidable in tunnels, and to dispose of soil containing heavy metals of natural origin.

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