Expressway in Hokkaido enters winter road system
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- Press Release Hokkaido office
- Expressway in Hokkaido enters winter road system
September 25, 2014
East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd.
Hokkaido Regional Head Office
NEXCO EAST Hokkaido Regional Head Office (Atsubetsu Ward, Sapporo City) positions the period from October 16 to April 30 of the following year as a snow and ice countermeasure period. We will work to secure safe traffic 24 hours a day with approximately 300 vehicles.
In addition, NEXCO EAST Group will hold a "Expressway snow and ice countermeasure dispatching ceremony" to carry out the snow and ice countermeasure work together this winter.
[Expressway snow and ice countermeasure dispatch schedule] (IC: Interchange)
| Office name | Date and time | Venue | Participating vehicles and personnel [Approximate number] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muroran Operation Office | Tuesday, October 14 10:00 to 10:30 | Do-O Expressway Muroran IC snow and ice work base | 40 cars, 80 people |
| Tomakomai Management Office | October 16 (Thursday) 11:00 to 12:00 | Do-O Expressway Tomakomai West IC snow and ice work base | 20 cars, 40 people |
| Sapporo Operation Office | October 17 (Friday) 9:30 to 10:30 | Do-O Expressway Kitahiroshima IC snow and ice work base | 40 cars, 70 people |
| Iwamizawa Management Office | October 10 (Friday) 10:30~11:00 | Do-O Expressway Iwamizawa IC snow and ice work base | 20 cars, 50 people |
| Asahikawa Operation Office | October 2 (Thursday) 10:30 ~ 11:30 | Do-O Expressway Asahikawa Takasu IC Snow and Ice Work Base | 20 cars, 60 people |
| Obihiro Operation Office | October 10 (Friday) 10:30 ~ 11:30 | Doto Expressway Otofuke Obihiro IC snow and ice work base | 20 cars, 50 people |
| total | 160 units, 350 people | ||
1 To use the Expressway winter safely and comfortably
At Expressway in winter, the number of accidents in winter is about double that in summer, and the number of accidents increases sharply from November in the beginning of winter. If you plan to use Expressway during the winter, please drive safely depending on the weather and road conditions. Also, please wear early winter equipment such as wearing winter tires.
【reference Attachment-1 "For Safe and Comfortable Use of Winter Expressway" [PDF: 1.1MB]]
2 Snowfall last year
The cumulative amount of snowfall on the Expressway 2013 (October to March) was 427 cm on average. The most common area in Hokkaido was Kanayama Tunnel, 889 cm, and Tokiwa Tunnel, 816 cm. The total distance of snow removal work for this snowfall is about 320,000 km, which is equivalent to about eight laps of the earth. The area with the earliest snowfall was October 16 at Tomamu Observatory.
【reference Attachment-2 "Snowfall of last year" [PDF: 749KB] ]
3 Snow and ice countermeasure work flow
NEXCO EAST Hokkaido Regional Head Office operates snow and ice on a 24-hour basis to minimize road closures and traffic restrictions on Expressway. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in snow and ice work.
【reference Attachment-3 "Flow of snow and ice countermeasure work" [PDF: 352KB] ]
4 Measures against snow and ice (Snow and ice ITS)
NEXCO EAST Hokkaido Regional Head Office, (1) WEB cameras are installed in our patrol cars and high-speed buses, visibility conditions from the driver's eyes, and (2) GPS is installed in snow removal work vehicles, and work progress is grasped by the signals ( 3) We collect real-time information using snow and ice ITS, such as technology that automatically measures the amount of snowfall on Expressway every 10 minutes, and perform snow and ice work that appropriately responds to the severe weather conditions and changes in Hokkaido.
【reference Attachment-4 "Snow and Ice Countermeasure Initiatives (Snow and Ice ITS)" [PDF: 517KB] ]
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