Overview of the Noetsu Expressway

The Noetsu Expressway is a high-standard highway (automotive expressway) that will stretch between Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture and Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture for an overall length of 117km. It connects with the Hokuriku Expressway/Tokai Hokuriku Expressway from Oyabe-Tonami JCT, so by reducing the time needed to get to the Noto Peninsula nationally, we hope it will promote regional industry, development and sightseeing, while increasing activity in areas along the highway. On February 28, 2015 the Nanao Himi Road (28.1km) section went into full service, and in conjunction with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen is helping to stimulate industry and improve access to the rich sightseeing potential of western Toyama Prefecture and the Noto Peninsula area of Ishikawa.

We here at Nippon Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd. have been engaged with surveying and planning for the entirety of the Noetsu Expressway project for 32 years, since 1984. We are deeply grateful for the guidance and cooperation in the execution of this work we’ve gotten from the MLIT Hokuriku Regional Development Bureau and others involved.

Overview Figure of the Noetsu Expressway

Building Roads to Meet the Needs of the Region

Road planning etc. to decide the basic structure and location of the Noetsu Expressway began in earnest from 1989. Nippon Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd. worked on basic design planning for the Takaoka-Tonami Road (Takaoka Kita IC-Oyabe ICT Section, Length: 18.2km), and made documentation for preliminary road design and city planning decisions, as well as for the preliminary road designs and interchange plans that fixed the land width for the section in the Moriyama-Kuniyoshi region.

Land work for the Takaoka-Tonami Road section passed mainly through good cultivated land, and so we carefully considered how to preserve land use and environmental standards for residents along the route in the planning phase. In order to get consensus on the plan and designs at explanatory meetings and discussions with relevant bodies, we also produced clear, understandable materials and held extensive discussions along with our contractors. 16 years after the project’s start in 1988, the Takaoka-Tonami Road went into full service.

Takaoka-Tonami Road Takaoka Kita IC

Building Roads by Leveraging Our Technological Strength

We carried out survey and plan for the Nanao Himi Road, which boasts the longest section of the Noetsu Expressway project plan (Nanao IC – Himi IC Section, Length: 28.1km). Since this section passes steep terrain, fragile geological features and National Historic sites, we had to apply all of the skills and techniques we possess.

The entry point for the Himi #15 tunnel cut through talus accumulations requiring landslide blocks, so the cut slope around it called for stabilization measures. We proposed and carried out detailed planning for countermeasures including ground anchor methods, steel pipe piles, and water drainage boring. (Nippon Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd. was in charge of detail design for the Nakanami (Himi #15) Tunnel).

In the section passing Joyama hill in Nanao City, we had to keep the impact of road work to an absolute minimum to protect the Nanao Castle ruins historic site. We carried out survey for road construction incorporating Ishikawa Prefecture’s largest scale elevated bridge. (Nippon Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd. was in charge of detail design on 2nd construction section of the Joyama Elevated Bridge (8-span continuous PC box girder))

For the Nakanami ward of Himi City, the final work site, we drafted plans to shorten the construction period and carried out detail design for cutting ground reinforcement/soft ground countermeasures, site roads, and more.

Thanks to the hard work and cooperation of our contractors and all those involved, we were able to meet our target of the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (March of 2015).

Building Roads with Pleasure

On February 28, 2015, the Nanao Himi Road was opened for full service, connecting Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures via a high-standard road, and contributing to the safety and security of the region. Also, visitors from outside the prefectures offered comments like “Driving has gotten easier,” “It’s faster to get to Nanao,” and “I’d like to go all the way to Noto next time,” showing the contribution to sightseeing and industry.

It has taken nearly 32 years from the first stages in 1984, but we still look forward to our future part in completing the Noetsu Expressway project, “connecting city to city and people to people, offering round trips to Noto and ease to people, with this excellent road.”