NEXCO EAST Tohoku Regional Head Office has summarized traffic congestion prediction and countermeasures due to traffic concentration on Expressway in the Tohoku region during the Obon season [12 days from Wednesday, August 10 to Sunday, August 21, 2011].

Every year, Expressway in the Tohoku region are congested due to summer festival tourism and the concentration of passengers spending their Obon holidays in their hometowns.

Please use the traffic congestion prediction information and make a leisurely travel plan such as avoiding traffic congestion by decentralizing the use of Expressway before and after the day or time when traffic congestion is predicted.

In order to support the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and for the immediate recovery and reconstruction, victims and evacuees from the Tohoku region (including Joban Expressway in the Mito area) and evacuees due to the nuclear accident, medium-sized vehicles, large-sized vehicles, and oversized vehicles Is free to use.

For details, please check NEXCO EAST 's information site "DraPla" etc.

1 Congestion prediction

[Regarding traffic congestion prediction on the main line]
This year's Obon period, Tohoku Expressway 10km or more of the traffic jam, etc. is, 19 times (Out-bound line 11 times, In-bound line 8 times) occurs, congestion more than the inner 30km, in Fukushima prefecture, Out-bound August 13 in line It is predicted to occur once every Saturday. (See Attachments 1 and 2 [PDF: 204KB])

[Results from last year (reference)]
During the Bon Festival last year [Wednesday, August 11, 2010-Sunday, August 22, 2010], traffic congestion of 10 km or more was 7 times in the Out-bound direction and 12 times in the In-bound direction, a total of 19 times. Has occurred.

The longest traffic congestion on the Tohoku Expressway is about 31km in the Out-bound direction on Thursday, August 12th, near the Adachi Tara service area, and about 32km in the In-bound direction, on Sunday, August 15th, near the Fukushima Tunnel. did.

Locations where a traffic jam of 10 km or more is predicted (the number of traffic jams is 11 Out-bound lines and 8 In-bound lines)
Out-bound line (11 traffic jams)

In-bound line (8 times of traffic jam)

[Congestion prediction method]
Based on traffic trends that exclude traffic jams due to unusual events such as accidents and traffic closures from past traffic congestion trends and traffic volume changes, the fluctuations in traffic volume due to the implementation of free measures in the Tohoku region following the Great East Japan Earthquake were added. We predict the time and place of traffic congestion.

[Congestion at toll gates]
Due to the increase in traffic volume due to free measures in the Tohoku region following the Great East Japan Earthquake, further congestion is expected at the following toll gates. (See Attachment 4 [PDF:153KB])

Customers are advised to check the latest traffic information before departing and use the Expressway.

Main toll gates where congestion is predicted

2 Congestion measures

NEXCO EAST Tohoku Regional Head Office will continue to implement the measures shown in the table below as a measure to prevent congestion on the Expressway. (See Attachment 6 [PDF:165KB])

3 Road information information

In order to drive Expressway safely and comfortably, you can easily get the latest Expressway information (congestion status, road surface status, road status) etc. on your PC or mobile phone. Please use it before going out.

• mobile phone

• NEXCO東日本お客さまセンター
  0570-024-024（PHS・IP電話 03-5338-7524）
  • Operators are available 24/7.

• （財）日本道路交通情報センター
  050-3369-6666（全国共通ダイヤル）

• Other
  In the major SA and PA in the Tohoku region, "Driving Weather Ch" broadcasts useful information for driving such as weather forecasts and points to note when driving.

4 Request from NEXCO EAST Tohoku Regional Head Office

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