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Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 35°27′47″N 139°52′31″E / 35.46306°N 139.87528°E / 35.46306; 139.87528
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|type=Expressway
|type=Expressway
|route=Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line
|route=Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line
|alternate_name=[[File:CA Expressway (Japan).png|48px|link=|alt=]] {{Nihongo2|{{H:title|とうきょうわん|東京湾}}アクアライン}}
|alternate_name=[[File:JP Expressway CA.svg|48px|link=|alt=]] {{Nihongo2|{{tooltip|2=とうきょうわん|東京湾}}アクアライン}}
|map={{Maplink|zoom=9|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=300|frame-height=300|frame-latitude=35.45|frame-longitude=139.85|type=line|stroke-color=#cc0000|stroke-width=2}}
|map={{Maplink|zoom=9|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=300|frame-height=300|frame-latitude=35.45|frame-longitude=139.85|type=line|stroke-color=#cc0000|stroke-width=2}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_custom=yes
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| official_name =
| official_name =
| other_name = Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway
| other_name = Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway
| carries = 4 lanes of {{jct|country=JPN|National|409}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aqua-line.com/about/about_e.html |title=Developments of transportation and industries, do bring a more comfortable life to every body. |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1998 |website=Tokyo wan Aqua-line |accessdate=6 March 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19981203163853/http://www.aqua-line.com/about/about_e.html |archivedate=3 December 1998 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| carries = 4 lanes of {{jct|country=JPN|National|409}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aqua-line.com/about/about_e.html |title=Developments of transportation and industries, do bring a more comfortable life to every body. |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1998 |website=Tokyo wan Aqua-line |access-date=6 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981203163853/http://www.aqua-line.com/about/about_e.html |archive-date=3 December 1998 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| crosses = [[Tokyo Bay]]
| crosses = [[Tokyo Bay]]
| locale = {{unbulleted list
| locale = {{unbulleted list
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| width = {{convert |22.9|m|ft }}<ref name=Shioi&Nakamura />
| width = {{convert |22.9|m|ft }}<ref name=Shioi&Nakamura />
| height =
| height =
| mainspan = {{convert |240|m|ft|0}}<ref name=Duan>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jJ3MBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1048#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Handbook of International Bridge Engineering |page=1048 |author1=Nagai, Masatsugu |author2=Okui, Yoshiaki |author3=Kawai, Yutaka |author4=Yamamoto, Masaaki |author5=Saito, Kimio |editor1=Chen, Wai-Fah |editor2=Duan, Lian |chapter=23: Bridge Engineering in Japan |date=2014 |publisher=CRC Press |location=Boca Raton |isbn=978-1-4398-1030-9 |accessdate=6 March 2015 }}</ref>
| mainspan = {{convert |240|m|ft|0}}<ref name=Duan>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jJ3MBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1048 |title=Handbook of International Bridge Engineering |page=1048 |author1=Nagai, Masatsugu |author2=Okui, Yoshiaki |author3=Kawai, Yutaka |author4=Yamamoto, Masaaki |author5=Saito, Kimio |editor1=Chen, Wai-Fah |editor2=Duan, Lian |chapter=23: Bridge Engineering in Japan |date=2014 |publisher=CRC Press |location=Boca Raton |isbn=978-1-4398-1030-9 |access-date=6 March 2015 }}</ref>
| spans =
| spans =
| pierswater = 42<ref name=Shioi&Nakamura>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7xCDq3CEZYYC&pg=PA75#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Continuous and Integral Bridges |editor1=Pritchard, B.P. |chapter=8: Design Concept of the Trans-Tokyo Bay Bridge |author1=Shioi, Y. |author2=Nakamura, S. |date=1994 |publisher=E & FN Spon |location=London |pages=75–84 |isbn=0-419-19030-9 |accessdate=8 March 2015 }}</ref>
| pierswater = 42<ref name=Shioi&Nakamura>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7xCDq3CEZYYC&pg=PA75 |title=Continuous and Integral Bridges |editor1=Pritchard, B.P. |chapter=8: Design Concept of the Trans-Tokyo Bay Bridge |author1=Shioi, Y. |author2=Nakamura, S. |date=1994 |publisher=E & FN Spon |location=London |pages=75–84 |isbn=0-419-19030-9 |access-date=8 March 2015 }}</ref>
| load =
| load =
| clearance =
| clearance =
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| builder =
| builder =
| fabricator = {{unbulleted list
| fabricator = {{unbulleted list
|bridge: Yokogawa Bridge Corp.<ref name=Yokogawa>{{cite web |url=http://www.yokogawa-bridge.co.jp/english/05_steelbridges/index7.html |title=Steel Bridges: Structures in Japan |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Yokogawa Bridge Corporation |accessdate=6 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107200337/http://www.yokogawa-bridge.co.jp/english/05_steelbridges/index7.html |archivedate=7 January 2015 }}</ref> and JFE Engineering<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jfe-eng.co.jp/en/products/infrastructure/bridge/br01.html |title=Girder bridges |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=JFE Engineering Corporation |accessdate=6 March 2015 }}</ref>
|bridge: Yokogawa Bridge Corp.<ref name=Yokogawa>{{cite web |url=http://www.yokogawa-bridge.co.jp/english/05_steelbridges/index7.html |title=Steel Bridges: Structures in Japan |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Yokogawa Bridge Corporation |access-date=6 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107200337/http://www.yokogawa-bridge.co.jp/english/05_steelbridges/index7.html |archive-date=7 January 2015 }}</ref> and JFE Engineering<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jfe-eng.co.jp/en/products/infrastructure/bridge/br01.html |title=Girder bridges |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=JFE Engineering Corporation |access-date=6 March 2015 }}</ref>
|tunnel: }}
|tunnel: }}
| begin = 1989
| begin = 1989
| complete =
| complete =
| cost = {{JPY|1.4|link=yes}}&nbsp;trillion
| cost = {{JPY|1.4|link=yes}}&nbsp;trillion
| open = {{start date|1997|12|18|df=yes}}<ref name="opens">{{cite news |title=Japan opens world's longest undersea tunnel |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19971219-1.2.50.3?qt=tokyo,%20bay&q=tokyo%20bay |work=The Straits Times |agency=Reuters |date=19 December 1997}}</ref>
| open = {{start date|1997|12|18|df=yes}}
| inaugurated =
| inaugurated =
| named_for =
| named_for =
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| closed =
| closed =
| replaces =
| replaces =
| map_type = Japan Tokyo Bay and Boso Peninsula
| coordinates = {{coord|35|27|47|N|139|52|31|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|35|27|47|N|139|52|31|E|display=inline,title}}
}}
}}
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| image = Umihotaru Parking Area Aerial Photo 20150131.jpg
| image = Umihotaru Parking Area Aerial Photo 20150131.jpg
| image_size = 240
| image_size = 240
| alt = Umihotaru, where bridge transitions to tunnel
| alt = Umihotaru, where the bridge transitions to tunnel
| caption = Umihotaru, where bridge transitions to tunnel
| caption = Umihotaru, where bridge transitions to tunnel
| official_name =
| official_name =
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| vpd =
| vpd =
| engineer =
| engineer =
| construction = Taisei<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taisei.co.jp/english/ir/image/ar2014/taisei_annual_2014_05.pdf |title=Taisei Corporation's Journey over 140 Years |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2014 |website=Taisei Corporation |accessdate=8 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143426/http://www.taisei.co.jp/english/ir/image/ar2014/taisei_annual_2014_05.pdf |archivedate=2 April 2015 }}</ref>
| construction = Taisei<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taisei.co.jp/english/ir/image/ar2014/taisei_annual_2014_05.pdf |title=Taisei Corporation's Journey over 140 Years |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2014 |website=Taisei Corporation |access-date=8 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143426/http://www.taisei.co.jp/english/ir/image/ar2014/taisei_annual_2014_05.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2015 }}</ref>
| length =
| length =
| lanes = 2 (unidirectional) in each of 2 tunnels
| lanes = 2 (unidirectional) in each of 2 tunnels
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| extra =
| extra =
}}
}}
The {{nihongo|'''Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line'''|{{H:title|とうきょうわん|東京湾}}アクアライン|Tōkyō-wan Akua-rain<ref>''Katakana-shingo-jiten'', Gakken 2003, {{ISBN|4-05-301351-8}}</ref>}}, also known as the '''Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway''', is an expressway that is mainly made up of a [[bridge–tunnel]] combination across [[Tokyo Bay]] in [[Japan]]. It connects the city of [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]] in [[Kanagawa Prefecture]] with the city of [[Kisarazu, Chiba|Kisarazu]] in [[Chiba Prefecture]], and forms part of [[Route 409 (Japan)|National Route 409]]. With an overall length of 23.7&nbsp;km, it includes a 4.4&nbsp;km bridge and 9.6&nbsp;km tunnel underneath the bay&mdash;the fourth-longest underwater tunnel in the world.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_dyKGYwBE50C&pg=PA94#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Engineered Coasts |author=Hotta, Kenji |editor1=Chen, Jiyu |editor2=Eisma, Doeke |editor3=Hotta, Kenji |editor4=Walker, H. Jesse |date=2002 |publisher=Kluwer Academic |location=Dordrecht |isbn=1-4020-0521-0 |pages=94–95 |chapter=4: Tokyo Bay Reformation |accessdate=6 March 2015 }}</ref>
The {{nihongo|'''Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line'''|{{tooltip|2=とうきょうわん|東京湾}}アクアライン|Tōkyō-wan Akua-rain<ref>''Katakana-shingo-jiten'', Gakken 2003, {{ISBN|4-05-301351-8}}</ref>}}, also known as the '''Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway''', is an expressway that is mainly made up of a [[bridge–tunnel]] combination across [[Tokyo Bay]] in [[Japan]]. It connects the city of [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]] in [[Kanagawa Prefecture]] with the city of [[Kisarazu, Chiba|Kisarazu]] in [[Chiba Prefecture]], and forms part of [[Route 409 (Japan)|National Route 409]]. With an overall length of 23.7&nbsp;km, it includes a 4.4&nbsp;km bridge and 9.6&nbsp;km tunnel underneath the bay&mdash;the fourth-longest underwater tunnel in the world.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_dyKGYwBE50C&pg=PA94 |title=Engineered Coasts |author=Hotta, Kenji |editor1=Chen, Jiyu |editor2=Eisma, Doeke |editor3=Hotta, Kenji |editor4=Walker, H. Jesse |date=2002 |publisher=Kluwer Academic |location=Dordrecht |isbn=1-4020-0521-0 |pages=94–95 |chapter=4: Tokyo Bay Reformation |access-date=6 March 2015 }}</ref>


== Overview ==
== Overview ==
At the bridge-tunnel crossover point, there is an [[artificial island]] called {{nihongo|Umihotaru|{{H:title|うみ|海}}ほたる|Umi-hotaru|extra=literally meaning "sea firefly" or [[Vargula hilgendorfii]]}} with a rest area consisting of restaurants, shops and amusement facilities. Air is supplied to the tunnel by a distinctive tower in the middle of the tunnel, called the ''Kaze no Tō'' ({{H:title|かぜ|風}}の{{H:title|とう|塔}}, "the tower of wind"), which uses the bay's almost-constant winds as a power source.
An [[artificial island]], {{nihongo|Umihotaru|{{tooltip|2=うみ|海}}ほたる|Umi-hotaru|extra="sea firefly," referring to ''[[Vargula hilgendorfii]]''}}, marks the transition between the bridge and tunnel segments and provides a rest stop with restaurants, shops, and amusement facilities. A distinctive tower standing above the middle of the tunnel, the Kaze no Tō ({{tooltip|2=かぜ|風}}の{{tooltip|2=とう|塔}}, "the tower of wind"), supplies air to the tunnel, its ventilation system powered by the bay's almost-constant winds.
[[File:Tokyo_Wan_Aqua-Line.jpg|thumb|Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line.]]
[[File:Tokyo_Aqua_line_bridge.jpg|thumb|Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge.]]


⚫
The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line shortened the drive between Chiba and Kanagawa, two important industrial areas, from 90 to 15 minutes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/2126 |title=JAPAN Big New Crossings Can Use Much More Traffic &#124; TOLLROADSnews |access-date=2009-11-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211210213/http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/2126 |archive-date=2010-02-11 }}</ref> and also helped cut travel time from Tokyo and Kanagawa to the seaside leisure spots of the southern [[Bōsō Peninsula]]. Before it opened, the trip entailed a 100 km journey along [[Tokyo Bay]] and pass through central Tokyo.
The road opened on December 18, 1997, after 23 years of planning and 9 years of construction at a cost of 1.44 trillion [[yen]] (US$11.2 billion at the time of opening).


[[File:Tokyo_Bay_Aqua-Line_Highway_(30700131481).jpg|thumb|Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line Highway at night.]]
⚫
The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line reduced the drive between Chiba and Kanagawa, two important industrial regions, from 90 to 15 minutes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/2126 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2009-11-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211210213/http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/2126 |archivedate=2010-02-11 }}</ref> and also contributed to cutting the travel time to the sea leisure area in the southern part of the [[Bōsō Peninsula]] from Tokyo and Kanagawa. Before the tunnel opened, one had to drive around about 100&nbsp;km along the shores of [[Tokyo Bay]] and pass through downtown Tokyo.
An explicit goal of the Aqua-Line was to redirect vehicular flow away from central Tokyo, but the expensive toll has meant only a limited reduction in central-Tokyo traffic.

One goal expressed during the planning of the Aqua-Line was to reduce the traffic through downtown Tokyo, but as the highway toll is quite high, the reduction in Tokyo traffic has not been as great as expected.


Many highway bus services now use the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, including lines from [[Tokyo Station]], [[Yokohama Station]], [[Kawasaki Station]], [[Shinagawa Station]], [[Shibuya Station]], [[Shinjuku Station]] and [[Haneda Airport]] to [[Kisarazu]], [[Kimitsu, Chiba|Kimitsu]], [[Nagaura Station (Chiba)|Nagaura station]], [[Ichihara, Chiba|Ichihara]], [[Mobara]], [[Tōgane]], [[Kamogawa, Chiba|Kamogawa]], [[Katsuura, Chiba|Katsuura]] and [[Tateyama, Chiba|Tateyama]].
Many highway bus services now use the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, including lines from [[Tokyo Station]], [[Yokohama Station]], [[Kawasaki Station]], [[Shinagawa Station]], [[Shibuya Station]], [[Shinjuku Station]] and [[Haneda Airport]] to [[Kisarazu]], [[Kimitsu, Chiba|Kimitsu]], [[Nagaura Station (Chiba)|Nagaura station]], [[Ichihara, Chiba|Ichihara]], [[Mobara]], [[Tōgane]], [[Kamogawa, Chiba|Kamogawa]], [[Katsuura, Chiba|Katsuura]] and [[Tateyama, Chiba|Tateyama]].

==History==
One of the last Japanese megaprojects of the 20th century,<ref name="longest">{{cite news |title=World's longest undersea tunnel: Tokyo's costly folly? |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19971215-1.2.26.5?qt=tokyo,%20bay&q=tokyo%20bay |work=The Straits Times |agency=AFP |date=15 December 1997}}</ref> the roadway was built at a cost of the [[Japanese yen|¥]]1.44 trillion (US$11.2 billion) and opened on December 18, 1997<ref name="opens"/> by then-[[Crown Prince of Japan|Crown Prince]] [[Naruhito]] and then-[[Crown Princess of Japan|Crown Princess]] [[Empress Masako|Masako]]<ref name="road"/> after 23 years of planning and nine years of construction. The roadway was conceived during the [[Japanese asset price bubble|bubble economy of the late 1980s]].<ref name="road"/>

At opening time, the roadway had the highest toll fee in Japan {{endash}} a one-way trip costs ¥5050 or ¥334 per kilometer.<ref name="longest"/> Due to its expensive toll, analysts see lower traffic volume than what [[Japan Highway Public Corporation]], the operator of the roadway, expected at 25,000 cars.<ref name="road">{{cite news |title=World's longest submarine road opens |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19971219-1.2.47.12.4?qt=tokyo,%20bay&q=tokyo%20bay |work=Business Times (Singapore) |agency=AFP |date=19 December 1997}}</ref>


== Tolls ==
== Tolls ==
The cash toll for a single trip on the Aqua-Line is ¥3000 for ordinary-size cars (¥2400 for [[kei car]]s); however, using the [[Electronic toll collection|ETC]] (electronic toll collection) system, the fare is ¥2320 (¥1860 for kei cars). The ETC toll is reduced to ¥1000 on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. In general, tolls for usage of the Aqua-Line in either direction are collected at the mainline toll plaza on the Kisarazu end.
The cash toll for a single trip on the Aqua-Line is ¥3,140 for ordinary-size cars (¥2,510 for [[kei car]]s); however, using the [[Electronic toll collection|ETC]] (electronic toll collection) system, the fare is ¥2320 (¥1860 for kei cars). The ETC toll is reduced to ¥1000 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. In general, tolls for usage of the Aqua-Line in either direction are collected at the mainline toll plaza on the Kisarazu end.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
|-
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!Type of car!!Toll!!ETC Aqua-Line <br/>Special discount!!ETC Pilot Test discount<br/> (from July 2009)
!Type of car!!Toll!!ETC Aqua-Line <br/>Special discount!!ETC Pilot Test discount<br/> (from July 2009)
|-
|-
|Normal cars||3,000JPY||2,320JPY||800JPY
|Normal cars||3,140JPY||2,320JPY||800JPY
|-
|-
|Midsize cars||3,600JPY||2,780JPY||960JPY
|Midsize cars||3,770JPY||2,780JPY||960JPY
|-
|-
|Large cars||4,950JPY||3,830JPY||1,320JPY
|Large cars||5,190JPY||3,830JPY||1,320JPY
|-
|-
|Specific large cars||8,250JPY||6,380JPY||2,200JPY
|Specific large cars||8,640JPY||6,380JPY||2,200JPY
|-
|-
|[[Kei car|Kei-car]]s and motorcycles||2,400JPY||1,860JPY||640JPY
|[[Kei car|Kei-car]]s and motorcycles||2,510JPY||1,860JPY||640JPY
|}
|}


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* [[Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel]]
* [[Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel]]
* [[Busan–Geoje Fixed Link]]
* [[Busan–Geoje Fixed Link]]
* [[Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge]]
* [[Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge]]


==References==
==References==
Line 178: Line 185:
* {{Structurae |id=20004415 |title=Tokyo Bay Aqualine Bridge |accessdate=6 March 2015 |nolink=yes}}
* {{Structurae |id=20004415 |title=Tokyo Bay Aqualine Bridge |accessdate=6 March 2015 |nolink=yes}}
* {{Structurae |id=20004416 |title=Tokyo Bay Aqualine Tunnel |accessdate=6 March 2015 |nolink=yes}}
* {{Structurae |id=20004416 |title=Tokyo Bay Aqualine Tunnel |accessdate=6 March 2015 |nolink=yes}}
* {{cite news |url=http://archive.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/12/dayintech_1218 |title=Dec. 18, 1997: 360 Seconds Under Tokyo |author=Alfred, Randy |date=18 December 2008 |newspaper=WIRED |accessdate=6 March 2015 }}
* {{cite news |url=http://archive.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/12/dayintech_1218 |title=Dec. 18, 1997: 360 Seconds Under Tokyo |author=Alfred, Randy |date=18 December 2008 |newspaper=WIRED |access-date=6 March 2015 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.kajima.com/news_events/news_notes/pdf/v3.pdf |title=The World's Largest-Scale Marine Civil Engineering Project: The Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |journal=KAJIMA News & Notes |volume=3 |pages=2–5 |date=Autumn 1997 |accessdate=6 March 2015 }}
* {{cite journal |url=http://www.kajima.com/news_events/news_notes/pdf/v3.pdf |title=The World's Largest-Scale Marine Civil Engineering Project: The Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |journal=KAJIMA News & Notes |volume=3 |pages=2–5 |date=Autumn 1997 |access-date=6 March 2015 }}
* {{cite conference |url= |title=The Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway project - a huge project currently under construction |author1=Uchida, K |author2=Shioi, Y |author3=Hirukawa, T |author4=Tatsuoka, F |editor1=Wu, JTH |editor2=Barrett, R.K. |pages=57–87 |isbn=90-5410-343-4 |conference=Transportation Facilities Through Difficult Terrain |location=Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado |date=8–12 August 1993 }}
* {{cite conference |title=The Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway project - a huge project currently under construction |author1=Uchida, K |author2=Shioi, Y |author3=Hirukawa, T |author4=Tatsuoka, F |editor1=Wu, JTH |editor2=Barrett, R.K. |pages=57–87 |isbn=90-5410-343-4 |conference=Transportation Facilities Through Difficult Terrain |location=Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado |date=8–12 August 1993 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.saitama-u.ac.jp/gris/pdf/Full%20TransTokyoBayHigyway%20PP.pdf |title=Geotechnical Engineering Aspects of Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway Project |author=Tatsuoka, F. |date=1998 |website=Saitama University |accessdate=8 March 2015 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.saitama-u.ac.jp/gris/pdf/Full%20TransTokyoBayHigyway%20PP.pdf |title=Geotechnical Engineering Aspects of Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway Project |author=Tatsuoka, F. |date=1998 |website=Saitama University |access-date=8 March 2015 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.cobportaal.nl/Gedeelde%20documenten/GKO-101.CT.07.A.pdf |title=Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=c. 1990 |publisher=Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway Corporation |accessdate=8 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121341/http://www.cobportaal.nl/Gedeelde%20documenten/GKO-101.CT.07.A.pdf |archivedate=2 April 2015 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.cobportaal.nl/Gedeelde%20documenten/GKO-101.CT.07.A.pdf |title=Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=c. 1990 |publisher=Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway Corporation |access-date=8 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121341/http://www.cobportaal.nl/Gedeelde%20documenten/GKO-101.CT.07.A.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2015 }}


<!-- {{Coord|35|27|47|N|139|52|31|E|region:JP-12_type:waterbody|display=title}} -->
<!-- {{Coord|35|27|47|N|139|52|31|E|region:JP-12_type:waterbody|display=title}} -->
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[[Category:Toll tunnels in Japan]]
[[Category:Toll tunnels in Japan]]
[[Category:Road tunnels in Japan]]
[[Category:Road tunnels in Japan]]
[[Category:Cross-sea bridges in Asia]]
[[Category:Undersea tunnels in Asia]]
[[Category:Undersea tunnels in Asia]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1997]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1997]]

Latest revision as of 12:22, 9 December 2024

Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line Expressway sign
Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line Expressway
東京湾アクアライン
Map
The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line highlighted in red
Route information
Length23.7 km (14.7 mi)
Existed1997–present
Component
highways		 National Route 409
Major junctions
West endKawasaki Ukishima Junction
Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route
in Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Section 1
East endKisarazu Interchange
Ken-Ō Expressway in
Kisarazu, Chiba
Location
CountryJapan
Highway system
Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line

東京湾アクアライン
Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line (bridge section)
Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line (bridge section)
Coordinates35°27′47″N 139°52′31″E / 35.46306°N 139.87528°E / 35.46306; 139.87528
Carries4 lanes of National Route 409[1]
CrossesTokyo Bay
Locale
Other name(s)Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway
Characteristics
Design
Total length
  • bridge: 4,384 metres (14,383 ft)[2]
  • tunnel: 9,600 metres (31,496 ft)
Width22.9 metres (75 ft)[2]
Longest span240 metres (787 ft)[3]
Piers in water42[2]
Clearance below29 metres (95 ft)[2]
History
Fabrication by
  • bridge: Yokogawa Bridge Corp.[4] and JFE Engineering[5]
  • tunnel:
Construction start1989
Construction cost¥1.4 trillion
Opened18 December 1997 (1997-12-18)[6]
Location
Map
Tokyo Bay Tunnel
Umihotaru, where the bridge transitions to tunnel
Umihotaru, where bridge transitions to tunnel
Overview
Status
  • 2 in use
  • 1 planned
StartUmihotaru Island
EndUkishima, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Operation
ConstructedTaisei[7]
Technical
No. of lanes2 (unidirectional) in each of 2 tunnels
Highest elevationsea level
Lowest elevation−45 metres (−148 ft)
Width
  • 14.1 metres (46 ft) OD
  • 11.9 metres (39 ft) ID
  • 10.5 metres (34 ft) roadway
Grade4%[8]

The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line (東京湾アクアライン, Tōkyō-wan Akua-rain[9]), also known as the Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway, is an expressway that is mainly made up of a bridge–tunnel combination across Tokyo Bay in Japan. It connects the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture with the city of Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture, and forms part of National Route 409. With an overall length of 23.7 km, it includes a 4.4 km bridge and 9.6 km tunnel underneath the bay—the fourth-longest underwater tunnel in the world.[10]

Overview

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An artificial island, Umihotaru (海ほたる, Umi-hotaru, "sea firefly," referring to Vargula hilgendorfii), marks the transition between the bridge and tunnel segments and provides a rest stop with restaurants, shops, and amusement facilities. A distinctive tower standing above the middle of the tunnel, the Kaze no Tō (風の塔, "the tower of wind"), supplies air to the tunnel, its ventilation system powered by the bay's almost-constant winds.

Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line.
Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge.

The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line shortened the drive between Chiba and Kanagawa, two important industrial areas, from 90 to 15 minutes,[11] and also helped cut travel time from Tokyo and Kanagawa to the seaside leisure spots of the southern Bōsō Peninsula. Before it opened, the trip entailed a 100 km journey along Tokyo Bay and pass through central Tokyo.

Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line Highway at night.

An explicit goal of the Aqua-Line was to redirect vehicular flow away from central Tokyo, but the expensive toll has meant only a limited reduction in central-Tokyo traffic.

Many highway bus services now use the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, including lines from Tokyo Station, Yokohama Station, Kawasaki Station, Shinagawa Station, Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station and Haneda Airport to Kisarazu, Kimitsu, Nagaura station, Ichihara, Mobara, Tōgane, Kamogawa, Katsuura and Tateyama.

History

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One of the last Japanese megaprojects of the 20th century,[12] the roadway was built at a cost of the ¥1.44 trillion (US$11.2 billion) and opened on December 18, 1997[6] by then-Crown Prince Naruhito and then-Crown Princess Masako[13] after 23 years of planning and nine years of construction. The roadway was conceived during the bubble economy of the late 1980s.[13]

At opening time, the roadway had the highest toll fee in Japan – a one-way trip costs ¥5050 or ¥334 per kilometer.[12] Due to its expensive toll, analysts see lower traffic volume than what Japan Highway Public Corporation, the operator of the roadway, expected at 25,000 cars.[13]

Tolls

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The cash toll for a single trip on the Aqua-Line is ¥3,140 for ordinary-size cars (¥2,510 for kei cars); however, using the ETC (electronic toll collection) system, the fare is ¥2320 (¥1860 for kei cars). The ETC toll is reduced to ¥1000 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. In general, tolls for usage of the Aqua-Line in either direction are collected at the mainline toll plaza on the Kisarazu end.

Toll table of Tokyo-bay Aqua Line
(Kawasaki-Ukishima Junction – Kisarazu-Kaneda Interchange)
Type of car Toll ETC Aqua-Line
Special discount		 ETC Pilot Test discount
(from July 2009)
Normal cars 3,140JPY 2,320JPY 800JPY
Midsize cars 3,770JPY 2,780JPY 960JPY
Large cars 5,190JPY 3,830JPY 1,320JPY
Specific large cars 8,640JPY 6,380JPY 2,200JPY
Kei-cars and motorcycles 2,510JPY 1,860JPY 640JPY

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Developments of transportation and industries, do bring a more comfortable life to every body". Tokyo wan Aqua-line. 1998. Archived from the original on 3 December 1998. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Shioi, Y.; Nakamura, S. (1994). "8: Design Concept of the Trans-Tokyo Bay Bridge". In Pritchard, B.P. (ed.). Continuous and Integral Bridges. London: E & FN Spon. pp. 75–84. ISBN 0-419-19030-9. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  3. ^ Nagai, Masatsugu; Okui, Yoshiaki; Kawai, Yutaka; Yamamoto, Masaaki; Saito, Kimio (2014). "23: Bridge Engineering in Japan". In Chen, Wai-Fah; Duan, Lian (eds.). Handbook of International Bridge Engineering. Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. 1048. ISBN 978-1-4398-1030-9. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Steel Bridges: Structures in Japan". Yokogawa Bridge Corporation. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Girder bridges". JFE Engineering Corporation. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Japan opens world's longest undersea tunnel". The Straits Times. Reuters. 19 December 1997.
  7. ^ "Taisei Corporation's Journey over 140 Years" (PDF). Taisei Corporation. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  8. ^ Funasaki, Tsuneyoshi; Yamada, Norio; Izumi, Yasutaka; Miki, Keizou (1998). "Construction of Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway". IABSE Reports. 78: 43–48. doi:10.5169/seals-59019.
  9. ^ Katakana-shingo-jiten, Gakken 2003, ISBN 4-05-301351-8
  10. ^ Hotta, Kenji (2002). "4: Tokyo Bay Reformation". In Chen, Jiyu; Eisma, Doeke; Hotta, Kenji; Walker, H. Jesse (eds.). Engineered Coasts. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. pp. 94–95. ISBN 1-4020-0521-0. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  11. ^ "JAPAN Big New Crossings Can Use Much More Traffic | TOLLROADSnews". Archived from the original on 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  12. ^ a b "World's longest undersea tunnel: Tokyo's costly folly?". The Straits Times. AFP. 15 December 1997.
  13. ^ a b c "World's longest submarine road opens". Business Times (Singapore). AFP. 19 December 1997.
[edit]
The Aqua-Line from above, 2015
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