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NEXCO EAST Tohoku Regional Head Office (Miyagino-ku, Sendai City) predicts congestion due to traffic concentration on Expressway in the Tohoku region during the Golden Week period [10 days from April 28 (Friday) to May 7 (Sunday), 5th year of Reiwa] has been compiled.

1. 1. Congestion forecast

It is predicted that traffic jams of 5 km or more will occur six times on Out-bound line and eight times on In-bound line, for a total of 14 times on the Expressway in the Tohoku region.

Forecast of the longest traffic congestion in the Tohoku region [Details of traffic congestion forecast are described on the next page]

• Out-bound line: May 3 (Wednesday) E4 Tohoku Expressway near Fukushima TN (Fukushima Nishi IC - Motomiya IC) maximum 15 km
• In-bound line: May 3 (Wednesday) E4 near Tohoku Expressway Fukushima TN (Fukushima Matsukawa PA - Fukushima JCT) maximum 10km

2. When using Expressway

• Rest facilities may be crowded during Golden Week, so please finish refueling and restrooms as early as possible. In addition, please park in the designated space so that large vehicles can easily use it.
• If the car stops due to an accident or breakdown at Expressway, do not stand on the road, stay in the car, and immediately evacuate to a safe place such as outside the guardrail.

≪Places where traffic jams of 5km or more are predicted≫

• Out-bound line (6 traffic jams), In-bound line (8 traffic jams)
  • In the table, the red bold part is the maximum congestion on the peak day

■ May 3 (Wednesday)

■ May 4 (Thursday)

■ May 5 (Friday)

• "IC" is an interchange, "JCT" is a junction, "SA" is a service area, "PA" is a parking area, "TN" is a tunnel, and "BS" is a bus stop.

Traffic jam forecast guide

In the traffic jam forecast guide, you can check traffic jams of up to 10 km or more in traffic congestion predictions in NEXCO EAST and NEXCO CENTRAL jurisdiction. The traffic jam forecast guide is posted on the special site for the traffic congestion period, and is also distributed in booklets at each rest facility, so please use it when considering the departure date, departure time, and route.

Special site for traffic congestion period

In addition, traffic congestion forecasts NEXCO CENTRAL jurisdiction are only partially posted, so please check NEXCO CENTRAL traffic congestion forecasts for details.

Notes on ETC Holiday Discounts

Holiday discounts for Expressway etc. will not be applied on April 29th (Sat), 30th (Sun), and May 3rd (Wed) to 7th (Sun) during Golden Week.

• Exemptions from holiday discounts (press release on January 30, 2023)

3. Rest facilities that require attention to congestion

Rest facilities in the Tohoku region during the Golden Week holidays are crowded with customers who use Expressway for excursions, etc., and congestion occurs every year.
As a measure against congestion, some rest facilities will have parking lot sorters. At the same time, we will intensively secure large-sized vehicle parking spaces so that large-sized vehicles can easily use them. From night to morning, there are rest facilities that do not have parking lot control staff, so please park in the designated spaces so that large vehicles can be easily used.

≪Reference≫ Measures against congestion at rest facilities

Four. Request from NEXCO EAST Tohoku Regional Head Office

~ Before departure ~

• Please plan your trip with plenty of room
  Utilize traffic congestion prediction information, and when using the Expressway, try to avoid traffic congestion by staggering the days and times when traffic congestion is expected to occur, and depart with a relaxed travel plan. Also, please check the latest road traffic information on the Expressway information site "DraTra" just before departure.
  Please finish​ ​refueling, quick charging, and using the toilet as early as possible before using the Expressway or at the SA / PA located in front of the congested area.
• Please prevent troubles such as car breakdowns and cargo falling.
  Before using the Expressway, please check the remaining amount of gasoline and tire pressure in advance to prevent trouble on the Expressway. Also, to prevent falling objects, please check that your luggage is fixed before departure.

~ On the Expressway ~

• Wear seat belts even in the back seat
  Expressway, including rear seats Wear seat belts in all seats Is required by law.
  Please be sure to wear it.
• Running backwards is a life-threatening act
  Expressway can only go in designated directions. Please check the direction of travel with information signs and road markings before driving. (Refer to Attachment-1 [PDF: 275KB])
• Take proper breaks and drive safely
  Fatigue tends to build up when driving at night or for long periods of time. In order to prevent accidents caused by falling asleep, etc., please use SA/PA to take appropriate breaks and drive safely.
• Appropriate use of parking spaces
  As a measure against congestion, we will allocate parking lot sorters and strive to ensure that customers can use the parking space appropriately. In addition, please park in the designated space so that large vehicles can easily use it. (Refer to Attachment-2 [PDF: 108KB])

-To avoid an accident-If an accident occurs-

(Refer to Attachment-3 [PDF: 331KB])

• Signal a following vehicle
  Within traffic jam section In Prevents rear-end collisions In order to do so, if you see a traffic jam ahead, Turn on the hazard lamp Please cooperate and signal the following vehicle.
• Never walk around and evacuate to a safe place
  In the unlikely event of an accident or breakdown, turn on the hazard lamps, install the flares and warning triangles, and immediately evacuate the driver and passengers to a safe place such as outside the guardrail. After that, please call 110 or an emergency call.
• If you discover an abnormality or emergency on the road
  Abnormalities on the road I found a falling object If the road emergency dial "# 9910" Please contact us.

Five. Providing traffic jam information, etc.

For safe and comfortable driving on Expressway, you can easily obtain the latest Expressway information (congestion conditions, road surface conditions, road conditions, etc.) on your computer or mobile phone. Please use it before departure.

• The use of mobile phones and smartphones while driving is prohibited. When using it, please operate it before departure, during breaks, or by a passenger.

Traffic jam prediction information

• Guidance of traffic congestion period special site
  NEXCO EAST 's website for customers "DraPla" has a traffic jam forecast guide, and a traffic jam forecaster explains how to avoid traffic jams in videos. Please check the traffic congestion forecast and avoid busy days and times.

Special site for traffic congestion period

Expressway information such as traffic congestion

• Drive Traffic (DraTra)
  You can check road traffic information such as real-time congestion information and road closure information.
• Road Traffic Information Now! !
  * (Public interest incorporated foundation) Japan Road Traffic Information Center HP
• Information provision by LINE
  The LINE official account "NEXCO EAST" distributes Expressway information.

  

• NEXCO東日本お客さまセンター
  0570-024-024　または　03-5308-2424
  ※24時間365日オペレーターが対応します。
• （公財）日本道路交通情報センター
  050-3369-6666（全国共通ダイヤル）
• Other
  Major SA / PAs in the Tohoku region broadcast useful information for driving, such as weather forecasts and points to note when driving, on the "Driving Weather Channel."

• Traffic conditions may change significantly due to accidents or weather conditions, so please check the latest road traffic information on "DraTra" before departure.