New Tomei Expressway (Shin-Tomei)

Opened in April 2012 between Gotemba and Hamamatsu-Inasa, the New Tomei Expressway is designed for 120 km/h with gentle curves and low gradients. The full section between Ebina-Minami JCT and Toyoda-Higashi JCT spans approximately 254 km.

Use

Bridge

Area

Shizuoka and Aichi Prefectures

Completed

2012

Developer

Central Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO Central)

A Motorway Built to a Higher Standard

The New Tomei Expressway (Shin-Tomei Kosoku-doro) runs parallel to the original Tomei Expressway, Japan’s backbone east–west route opened in 1969. Stretching approximately 254 km between Ebina-Minami JCT in Kanagawa Prefecture and Toyoda-Higashi JCT in Aichi Prefecture, it was designed from the start with a maximum speed of 120 km/h in mind. To achieve this, engineers specified generous curve radii and kept longitudinal gradients below 2 percent — a marked contrast to the sharper bends and steeper grades found on sections of the original Tomei.

The first segment, from Gotemba JCT to Hamamatsu-Inasa JCT (approximately 162 km), opened on 14 April 2012. A second section from Hamamatsu-Inasa JCT to Toyoda-Higashi JCT followed on 13 February 2016, linking some 200 km in a continuous stretch. Remaining gaps, including the section approaching Ebina-Minami JCT, are still under construction.

Relieving Congestion and Strengthening Resilience

Chronic congestion on the original Tomei had long been a drag on the country’s freight logistics. Studies conducted after the New Tomei’s opening showed a significant reduction in travel-time variability for trucks in particular. The new route also serves as a vital bypass: should the original Tomei be damaged by a major event such as the anticipated Nankai Trough earthquake, the New Tomei is designated as an emergency alternative arterial.

The expressway’s large-scale service areas draw visitors in their own right, offering regional food products and commercial facilities that have made them popular rest stops. On clear days, sections of the route afford views of Mt Fuji rising above the landscape.

Summary

The New Tomei Expressway opened in 2012 with a design speed of 120 km/h, establishing a new benchmark for Japanese motorway engineering. Its approximately 254-km alignment between Ebina-Minami JCT and Toyoda-Higashi JCT reduces congestion on the parallel Tomei and underpins disaster resilience along Japan’s most critical east–west corridor. For road-trip enthusiasts, the spacious service areas and glimpses of Mt Fuji make the drive itself worth planning around.

Related: Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line / Tokyo Gate Bridge

Planning a road trip along the route? Rakuten Travel offers a wide selection of hotels near the New Tomei service areas.