NEXCO EAST Hokkaido Regional Head Office (Atsubetsu Ward, Sapporo City) has summarized the traffic conditions on Expressway in Hokkaido during the year-end and New Year holidays as follows.

• During the period, the average number of passenger cars used on the Expressway as a whole was approximately 132,000 per day, an increase of 2.2% compared to the previous year.

• Do-O Expressway Between Fukagawa IC and Asahikawa Takasu IC, there was a lot of traffic closures caused by snow and other factors last year, and this year the trend was an increase of 112% compared to the previous year.
• Sasson Expressway The traffic between Asari IC and Zenibako IC became 98% of the traffic volume compared to last year due to the suspension of traffic due to snow on January 5, 2014.
• Doto Expressway Tomamu IC and Tokachi Shimizu IC, there was an increase of 116% from the previous year. On the Doto Expressway, the traffic volume is also increasing in other sections. We believe that this is due to the network effect of the opening of Yubari IC to Shimukappu IC on the Doto Expressway.
• In other sections, it increased by 4% to 14% compared to last year.

• The number of traffic jams this year was 19 times, 5 times more than last year (14 times).
• This year, at terminal ICs that were closed due to snowfall, accidents, etc., there were 12 times of traffic congestion (5 times last year) due to the concentration of passengers leaking from the Expressway.
• In addition, at the Kitahiroshima IC, there were three traffic congestions (0 last year) due to traffic concentration, which is thought to be the effect of nearby commercial facilities.
• The longest traffic jam was the traffic congestion on January 2 (Thursday) due to the concentration of traffic at the head of Sapporo Minami IC on the Do-O Expressway (direction Sapporo) and the slowdown due to snow, and at the peak (17:50). The traffic congestion length was around 11.0 km.