Shuto Expressway
Shuto Expressway (首都高速道路, Shuto Kōsoku-dōro, lit. "Metropolitan Expressway", where shuto also means "capital city") is a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited (首都高速道路株式会社, Shuto Kōsoku-dōro Kabushiki-gaisha).
Native name | 首都高速道路株式会社 |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Shuto Kōsoku-dōro Kabushiki-gaisha |
| Company type | Kabushiki gaisha |
| Industry | Transportation |
| Predecessor | Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation (1959–2005) |
| Founded | 1959 (as public corporation) 2005 (corporatized) |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
Area served | Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba, Saitama |
Key people | Toshitaka Miyata, (CEO) |
| Products | Operation and maintenance of the Shuto Expressway |
| Revenue | ¥444.91 billion (2008) |
| Owners | Government of Japan (49.99%) Tokyo Metropolitan Government (26.72%) Kanagawa Prefecture (8.28%) Saitama Prefecture (5.90%) Yokohama Municipal Government (4.45%) Kawasaki City (3.82%) Chiba Prefecture (0.80%) |
Number of employees | 2609 (2008) |
| Subsidiaries | Metropolitan Expressway Service Co, Ltd. |
| Website | www.shutoko.jp |
Most routes are grade-separated (elevated roads or tunnels) and central routes have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that require caution to drive safely. The speed limit is 60 km/h on most routes, but 80 km/h on the Bayshore Route, and 50 km/h on the Inner Circular Route.
All trips on the expressway require a toll be paid. As of 2014, the cash toll for a standard-size car is ¥1300 regardless of distance traveled. Vehicles using the ETC toll-collection system pay a distance-based toll ranging from ¥300 to ¥1300 for ordinary vehicles (see toll price) – in some cases substantially less than the previous fixed-rate toll. Lower cash rates exist for certain radial routes (where there are only a few kilometers of expressway remaining) and ETC users have various time-of-day discounts. For large vehicles, the toll is doubled.