NEXCO East Japan held its first regular press conference for FY2024 on April 24, and Yuta Tanaka, the eighth-generation traffic congestion forecaster of the Kanto Branch explained the traffic congestion forecast during Golden Week (April 27 to May 7).
The number of traffic congestion is expected to increase to 114 times (+32 times) in the 10 km to 30 km range compared to 2023, when the second half of the four-day weekend (May 3-6) was more frequent in both the up and down directions and the weather was bad in many areas.
In the downhill direction, traffic will be congested from early morning to late afternoon on the 3rd, the peak day, so if the schedule can be changed, it is recommended to move on to the 2nd. However, since traffic congestion occurs from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. near Kamigouchi SA on the Tohoku Expressway and from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. near Kosaka SA on the Kan-etsu Expressway, it is recommended to finish your trip by the evening.
Traffic congestion is expected to peak on the uphill direction on the 5th (Children’s Day) and continue from around noon until nighttime, with a maximum of 40 meters near the Takasaka SA on the Kanetsu Expressway and 30 km near the Kazo IC on the Tohoku Expressway. Traffic congestion is expected to calm down on the last day of the holiday (6th).
If the travel date cannot be changed, we recommend using the service between 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. for the downbound direction and between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. for the upbound direction to avoid the congestion time zone.
Mr. Tanaka also mentioned the “Nemophila traffic jam” around the National Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture and the “slow traffic jam at Haneda Airport” extending from the Tokyo Bay Aqua-line (downstream) to the Metropolitan Expressway Bayshore Route as GW-specific traffic jams.
While in 2023, the best time to see nemophila was before GW, in 2024, the blooming will be slightly delayed, and traffic congestion is expected to occur on the Joban Expressway downhill and the westbound Kita-Kanto Expressway at Tomobe JCT and the Kita-Kanto Expressway branch during the first three consecutive holidays (April 27 to 29). During congestion, it is recommended to pass through the Tomobe JCT and use the Tokai Smart IC or the Hitachi Minami-Ohta IC.
The Aqua-Line is expected to be congested with up to 19 km of traffic between 5:00 and 16:00 on May 3. Characterized by sluggish driving at a speed of about 6 km/h, which is considered to be less than one-third the normal speed, it may take up to 3 hours and 20 minutes to get through the Wangan Line (westbound) from Oi JCT to the Airport Central Exit. When heading to Haneda Airport from the Tokyo area, it is recommended to use the Haneda Line Airport West Exit.
Finally, as a technique to prevent accidents and traffic jams, he introduced the “2-second distance between vehicles” (3 seconds for large vehicles, etc., and 4 seconds when available), which can be counted on signs, lights, etc., even if speed changes.
Please check the special websites “Traffic Jam Forecast Guide by East Japan Official Traffic Jam Forecaster” and “Traffic Jam Forecast Guide 2024 GW Edition” (PDF) for the traffic jam avoidance points in each area.
© Source travel watch
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