The Kushiro Sotokan Road (釧路外環状道路, Kushiro-Sotokan Jōdōro) is a two-lane national expressway in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of July 2019, it connects the city Kushiro to the adjacent town that bears the same name. It is owned and operated by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and is signed as E38 and E44 under their "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering."[1]

釧路外環状道路
Kushiro Sotokan Road
国道%route%号
E38 E44 釧路外環状道路 (Kushiro-Sotokan Jōdōro)
Route information
Maintained by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Length17.3 km (10.7 mi)
Existed2016–present
Component
highways
National Route 38 / National Route 44
Major junctions
West endKushiro-nishi Interchange
Hokkaido Route 148 in Kushiro
East endKushirobeppo Interchange
National Route 272 in Kushiro
Location
CountryJapan
Highway system

Route description

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The Kushiro Sotokan Road was built to reduce congestion along National Routes 38 and 44 through Kushiro and to build part of the larger Trans-Hokkaidō Expressway [ja] with plans to link it to the Dōtō Expressway.

The route has a total length of 16.8 kilometres (10.4 mi). Variable-message signs indicate the speed limit along the road, but the standard limit is 100 km/h.[2]

History

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Kushiro Sotokan Road was opened in two stages. The first and largest stage was the construction of the road between Kushiro-nishi Interchange and Kushiro-higashi interchange. It was completed on 12 March 2016. The second stage extended the road east to its current eastern terminus at Kushirobeppo Interchange. This stage was completed on 9 March 2019.[3]

Junction list

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The entire expressway is in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaido. Distance markers reflect the distance traveled along the Dōtō Expressway from its terminus at Chitose-Eniwa Junction with the Hokkaido Expressway.

LocationkmmiExitNameDestinationsNotes
Through to   Dōtō Expressway (under construction)
Kushiro258.6160.718Kushiro-nishiHokkaido Route 148At-grade junction; western terminus
265.0
266.1
164.7
165.3
19Kushiro-chūōYanagibashi Avenue – Central Kushiro
Kushiro (town)268.8167.020Kushiro-higashi   National Route 391 to National Route 44 – Teshikaga, ShibechaEast end of E38, west end of E44
275.9171.421Kushirobeppo   National Route 272 to National Route 44 – Shibetsu, NemuroAt-grade junction; eastern terminus
Through to   Trans-Hokkaidō Expressway [ja] (planned)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Route transition

References

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  1. ^ "Japan's Expressway Numbering System". www.mlit.go.jp.
  2. ^ MLIT (25 October 2016). "一般国道38号・44号 釧路外環状道路 再評価原案準備書説明資料 平成28年度" (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  3. ^ MLIT (5 February 2019). "路外環 状道路(釧路東IC~釧路別保IC)と釧路中標津道路(一般国道272号)上別保道路 が 平成31年3月9日(土)15時に開通します!" (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 July 2019.