The opening of the highway "Akan IC" ~ "Kushiro West IC" gives birth to "Kushiro Airport IC" - To improve the attractiveness of wide-area tourism in eastern Hokkaido
On December 22, 2024, the 17 km section from the Akan IC to the Kushiro Nishi IC on the Hokkaido Hokkaido Expressway was finally opened, and the new Kushiro Airport IC was developed. The new transportation infrastructure is expected to have synergistic effects in tourism, disaster prevention, logistics, and more.
In 2009, the section of the Hokkaido Expressway from Honbetsu IC to Urahoro IC was opened, and in 2016 it was extended to Akan IC. Then, on December 22, 2024, for the first time in about seven years, the 17 km line from Akan IC to Kushiro Nishi IC was opened, and Sapporo City and Kushiro City Center were directly connected by expressway.
The distance from Sapporo to Honbetsu IC is a paid section managed by NEXCO East Japan, but from Honbetsu IC to Kushiro Nishi IC and later "Kushiro Beppo IC" is a free section under the jurisdiction of the government.
With the opening of the new section, the time required to get to Kushiro from Sapporo has been shortened by 7 minutes, making it possible to access in as little as 4 hours and 12 minutes. In addition, the "Kushiro Airport IC" was newly established in the new section, and it was connected to "Kushiro Airport" by about 5 km, dramatically improving access to the airport. A comfortable travel route was provided for tourists visiting from outside the province.
According to the Kushiro Tourism & Convention Association, "The attractiveness of Kushiro's national parks (Lake Akanmashu, Kushiro Marshland, and Shiretoko) will be further enhanced, and the airport IC will play a role as a gateway to Hokkaido tourism, and sightseeing in the direction of Nemuro and further north will be smooth."
Advantages of logistics and expectations for disaster prevention infrastructure
With the opening of the new section, in terms of logistics, it will be possible to quickly transport marine and agricultural products, which is expected to have a positive effect on local industries.
In addition, in response to the tsunami risk in the Kushiro area, the new section will be designed to avoid flooded areas, enabling evacuation and transportation of goods. As an emergency transportation route, it brings peace of mind to local residents and tourists.
