On December 14, NEXCO Central Japan’s Tokyo Branch opened to the press the construction site of the New Tomei Expressway (E1A) between Shin-Hatano IC and Shin-Gotemba IC, which is currently under construction with the aim of opening to traffic in FY2027. The three sites open to the public this time are the Kouchigawa Bridge, Yamakita Smart IC, and Takamatsu TN (tunnel), all of which are under construction by the Hadano Construction Office. The New Tomei is an approximately 253-km long automobile-only road connecting Ebina-Minami JCT to Toyota-Higashi JCT. To date, the road between Ebina-Minami JCT and Shin-Hatano IC (approx. 21 km) and the road between Shin-Gotemba IC and Toyota-Higashi JCT (approx. 207 km) have already opened. The remaining 25.2-km stretch between Shin-Hadano IC and Shin-Gotemba IC is under construction, with the Hadano Construction Office (14.2 km) in Kanagawa Prefecture and the Numazu Construction Office (11.0 km) in Shizuoka Prefecture in charge.
Hadano Construction Office Construction Section Overview Section Name: Second Tokai Expressway, Yokohama-Nagoya Route
Design speed: 120 km/h
Number of lanes: 4 lanes (tentative)
Minimum curve radius: 3500m
Steepest longitudinal gradient: 2
Main line extension breakdown:
［Earthwork extension] 2.9 km
［Bridge length] 2.3 km
［Tunnel extension] 9.0 km
Kayanuma TN (approx. 1.4 km, penetrated)
Takamatsu TN (approx. 2.9 km, approx. 50%)
Akasaka TN (approx. 1.0 km through)
Furujuku TN (approx. 0.6 km, penetrated)
Yuchi TN (approx. 2.1 km, more than 90%)
Yagayama TN (approx. 2.8 km, 1.2 km in Kanagawa Prefecture, already penetrated) This section was originally scheduled to be fully opened in FY2020, but construction of the Takamatsu Tunnel, described below, and other difficulties have arisen. Currently, the road is scheduled to be opened to traffic by the end of FY2027. Before the opening of the site, Mr. Yasuyuki Ihara, Director of the Hadano Construction Office of the Central Nippon Expressway Company Tokyo Branch Office, gave an overview of the project at the New Tomei Expressway Yamakita Project PR Center (Yamakita-cho, Kanagawa Prefecture). Mr. Ihara stated that the construction of the New Tomei Expressway was planned on the mountain side because “the border area (in Kanagawa Prefecture) has a bad alignment and many accidents occur,” and that the remaining 25 km from the Shin-Hatano IC to the Shin-Gotemba IC is currently under construction for opening in FY2027. The section from the Shin-Hatano IC to the prefectural border, which is the construction section in Kanagawa Prefecture, is characterized by “a gentle 2% (gradient) climb all the way up” and “a series of mountains and valleys, with many tunnels and bridges,” he said. He explained that the project started in 2006 and was scheduled to open in FY2020, but was postponed to FY2023, and is now underway with a target date of FY2027. As of the end of November 2023, the construction progress rate was approximately 80% (70% in the Hadano Construction Office area). The construction progress rate as of the end of November 2023 was approximately 80% (70% in the Hadano Construction Office area).
Kawauchi River Bridge This bridge crosses the Kawauchi River, a tributary of the Sako River originating in the Tanzawa Mountains, and a prefectural road. The bridge is a balanced arch bridge with a balanced arch structure on both sides centered on the piers. The structure is a composite combination of concrete, steel for the longitudinal framework of the arch (vertical members), and diagonal wires (diagonal suspension members). With a bridge length of 771 m (upstream line) and arch span length (between P2 and P3) of 220 m, it is one of the largest bridges in Japan, surpassing the Ikeda Heshoji Lake Bridge (bridge length 705 m, arch span length 200 m) crossing the Ikeda Dam Lake of the Yoshino River on the Tokushima Expressway (E32). The construction of the Kawauchi River Bridge required extensive preparations because the road surface is 120 m above the water, which is about the height of a 30-story building. Inclines were installed at the P2 piers on the Tokyo side to transport materials and vehicles. This huge device, which can transport four large concrete mixers weighing approximately 90 tons at a time, is rarely installed in road construction projects. On the other hand, construction of the P3 piers on the Gotemba side began with the excavation of a special tunnel and the preparation of a large stage at the base of the piers. The arch section was constructed by extending from the piers to the east and west. Using a large mobile scaffold at the end of the arch, concrete was assembled within the framework and one block (approximately 6.5 m) was constructed. After one block is completed in approximately two to three months, the next block is constructed, and after 16 blocks on each side, the overhang from the left and right is completed, and finally the arch is completed by filling in the center. After the bridge body is completed, precast slabs and wall railings are installed to complete the bridge.
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