The Nagoya Branch of NEXCO Central Japan will change its lane configuration starting in mid-July to alleviate traffic congestion near the exit of the Ichinomiya Interchange (upbound, toward Tokyo) on the Meishin Expressway (E1).
On the Ichinomiya IC–Ichinomiya JCT (upbound) section, a three-lane configuration in each direction was implemented in September 2024 as a measure to alleviate traffic congestion. This has been shown to reduce the frequency of traffic jams by approximately 40% and the maximum length of congestion by approximately 30%. However, traffic using the Nagoya Expressway from Ichinomiya IC (northbound) tends to concentrate in the left lane, resulting in congestion that originates near that exit.
To resolve this issue, we will revise the current system—where vehicles exit only from the left lane of the three-lane road—and change it so that vehicles can exit from both the left and center lanes. Furthermore, we will design the system so that vehicles exiting from the left and center lanes can continue directly onto the Nagoya Expressway without changing lanes. In addition, the exit at Ichinomiya IC heading toward National Route 22 will be modified to branch off to the right.
Road marking work associated with operational changes will be carried out during nighttime closures of the Ichinomiya IC (upbound) exit. The work will take place from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on July 13 and 14 (with July 15 and 16 designated as backup dates).
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