The Keinawa Expressway (京奈和自動車道, Keinawa jidōsha-dō) is a 104.9-km-long (65.2 mile) north–south (physically northeast–southwest) National Highway with access control (一般国道自動車専用道路 Ippan-kokudō jidōsha-sen-yō-dōro) in the Kinki region of Japan that connects Kyoto Prefecture to Wakayama Prefecture via Nara Prefecture. It is numbered "E24" under Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Expressway Numbering Systemg."[1]

Keinawa Expressway sign
Keinawa Expressway
京奈和自動車道 (Keinawa jidōsha-dō)
Route information
Length104.9 km (65.2 mi)
Existed1988–present
Component
highways
Major junctions
North end National Route 24 at Joyo Interchange in Jōyō
Major intersections
Section 1
South end Hanwa Expressway at Wakayama Junction in Wakayama, Wakayama
Location
CountryJapan
Highway system

Route description

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The Keinawa Expressway at Hashimoto-higashi IC in Hashimoto, Wakayama

The Keinawa Expressway generally follows the path of Japan National Route 24 from Kyoto to Wakayama. It begins at an interchange with the Shin-Meishin Expressway near Kyoto City. From Kyoto the expressway travels south through Kansai Science City and Nara Prefecture, then crosses into Wakayama where it runs along the southern side of the Kisen Alps while travelling southwest towards Wakayama where it comes to an end at a junction with the Hanwa Expressway. There are some gaps in the expressway that are linked by the previously named national highway. The purpose of this route is to serve as a high-speed route from Kyoto to Wakayama, bypassing Osaka to the west.

Naming

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The name Keinawa is a Sino-Japanese pronunciation of a three-character kanji acronym for Kyoto, Nara, and Wakayama (京奈和) that are the names of the three prefectures in the Kinki region that the Keinawa Expressway links. The first character of the three-character kanji that represents Kyoto (都) is pronounced as kei, whereas the second character of the kanji that represents Nara (良) and the third character of it represents Wakayama (歌山) are pronounced as na and wa respectively.

History

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The highway was first proposed in 1973 as bypasses in the Kinki region that were not connected. The first section of the expressway connecting Jōyō, Kyoto and Kyotanabe, Kyoto was opened in 1988.[2] The most recent section to open as of May 2018 was between the southern terminus with the Hanwa Expressway and Iwade-Negoro in Wakayama.[3]

Interchange list

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Map of Keinawa Expressway around Kyoto and the other expressways. Roads and junctions under planning are shown by dotted lines.
PrefectureLocationkmmiExitNameDestinationsNotes
KyotoJōyō00.09Joyo  National Route 24 – Kyoto, NaraNorthern terminus; northern terminus of Keina Road
9Joyo Junction  Shin-Meishin Expressway – Kadoma, Kyoto City
Kyōtanabe1.60.992Tanabe-kitaTanabe-kita, YawataToll outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance
Tanabe-nishi Toll Gate (inbound (northbound))
5.13.23Tanabe-nishi  National Route 307 – Tanabe-nishi, HirakataToll exits and outbound (southbound) entrance
Seika9.05.64Seika-ShimokomaSeika-ShimokomaToll exits and inbound (northbound) entrance
Seika-Shimokoma Toll Gate (outbound (southbound))
Kizugawa12.47.75Seika-GakkenSeika-GakkenToll inbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance
Seika14.08.76Yamadagawa  National Route 163 – Yamadagawa
Kizugawa17.010.67Kizu  National Route 24 – Kizu, NaraToll outbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance; southern terminus of Keina Road
NaraNaraNara-kitaInbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance; northern terminus of Yamato-kita Road (under construction)
6.1 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by   National Route 24
23.114.4Nara
2.0 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by   National Route 24
Yamatokōriyama25.115.6Yamatokoriyama-kita
3.7 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by   National Route 24
28.817.9YamatokoriyamaOutbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance
0.6 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by   National Route 24
29.418.34-2Koriyama-shimotsumichi Junction  Nishi-Meihan Expressway – Osaka, NagoyaToll westbound exit and southbound entrance from eastbound only; southern terminus of Yamato-kita Road (under construction); northern terminus of Yamato-Gojo Road
Tenri31.019.38Koriyama-minami  National Route 24 – Koriyama-minami, NaraInbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance; traffic continuing to the Kyoto portion (Keina Road) of the Keinawa Expressway must exit here
Miyake33.320.7MiyakeMiyake, TawaramotoOutbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance
Tawaramoto36.822.9Tawaramoto 
 
奈良県道14号標識
National Route 24 to Nara Prefecture Route 14 – Tawaramoto
Inbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance
Kashihara38.824.19Kashihara-kita  National Route 24 – Kashihara-kita, YamatotakadaOutbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance
4.4 km gap in the expressway, connection is made by   National Route 24
43.226.8Kashihara-Takada   National Route 24 / National Route 165 (Yamato-Takada Bypass) – Kashihara, YamatotakadaInbound (northbound) exit and outbound (southbound) entrance
46.929.1Gose  National Route 24 – Gose, Takatori
Gose49.430.7Gose-minami   National Route 24 / National Route 309 – Gose-minami, OyodoOutbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance
Gose-minami Parking Area as Gosenosato Rest Area (inbound (northbound))
Koseyama Tunnel
Asamachi Tunnel
Kamokimi Tunnel
Gojō56.635.210Gojo-kita  National Route 24 – Gojo-kita, OyodoSouthern terminus of Yamato-Gojo Road; northern terminus of Gojo Road
61.138.011Gojo   National Route 310 to National Route 168 – Gojo, Totsukawa, Kawachinagano
Kamanokubo-higashi Tunnel
63.239.312Gojo-nishi  National Route 24 – Gojo-nishiOutbound (southbound) exit and inbound (northbound) entrance; southern terminus of Gojo Road; northern terminus of Hashimoto Road
Hatakeda Tunnel
WakayamaHashimoto65.340.613Hashimoto-higashi  National Route 24 – Hashimoto-higashi
70.243.614Hashimoto   National Route 371 to National Route 24 – Hashimoto, Koya
75.847.115Koyaguchi  National Route 24 – Koyaguchi, KudoyamaSouthern terminus of Hashimoto Road; northern terminus of Kihoku-higashi Road
Katsuragi79.849.616Kihoku-Katsuragi  National Route 24 – Kihoku-Katsuragi, Koya
Parking Area as Michi-no-eki Katsuragi-nishi Rest Area
81.850.817Katsuragi-nishiKatsuragi-nishi
Kinokawa88.254.818Kinokawa-higashi  National Route 24 – Kinokawa-higashi
92.757.619Kinokawa  National Route 24 – KinokawaSouthern terminus of Kihoku-higashi Road; northern terminus of Kihoku-nishi Road
Shirutani Tunnel
Kasugayamajo Castle Tunnel
Negoro Tunnel
Iwade98.461.120Iwade-Negoro  National Route 24 – Iwade, Negoro
Iwade-Negoro Toll Gate (northern terminus of ticketed system)
Iwade Tunnel
Wakayama101.6–
104.9
63.1–
65.2
20-1Wakayama Junction   Hanwa Expressway – Hannan, Osaka, Wakayama, Shirahama;Southern terminus; southern terminus of Kihoku-nishi Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ "Japan's Expressway Numbering System". Mlit.go.jp.
  2. ^ "平成20年度予算の新規事業採択について" (PDF). Kkr.mlit.go.jp. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  3. ^ "京け い奈和な わ自動車道 紀北西き ほ く に し道路3月18日(土)岩出い わ で根来ね ご ろIC~和歌山わ か やまJCTが開通します!~今回の開通により、阪和自動車道・京奈和自動車道が接続~" (PDF). Kkr.mlit.go.jp. Retrieved 26 August 2018.

See also

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