In many cases the name of a construction project is different from the name of the completed work. The project names that we often use during a project are known only to a few people, those actually involved in the project. The project described here is one such example.

Hazama's work on the Higashi Kanto Highway Karasuda Construction project, which was begun in December 1990 and completed in June of 1995, consisted of building the toll station at the interchange and 4.3 km of the highway. Midway through the construction, when the timing was decided for opening the highway to traffic, the name Kisarazu Minami Interchange was applied to this previously unnamed interchange.

Highway 16 is one of the more crowded roads in Chiba's Boso Peninsula, with regular traffic tie-ups making new road construction overdue. The highway was gradually lengthened until, with the completion of the Kisarazu Minami Interchange, the Tateyama Highway at last linked the cities of Chiba and Kisarazu.

Masato Sakurada, who at that time headed the (and is now manager of the labor safety section of the Higashi Kanto Branch), noted that "The 4 or 5 year project was hard work, but it has won high praise from the contractor for managing to complete the work without accident. As I took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony I was filled with gratitude for the way everyone pulled together to tackle each of the difficult tasks in this project."

The Boso Peninsula is an area with a number of tourist sites. Now that the Higashi Kanto Highway has been completed as far as Kisarazu, the appeal of the Boso Peninsula as a leisure area has no doubt increased. And before long Kisarazu in Chiba will be linked to Kanagawa Prefecture by the new highway crossing Tokyo Bay. When that highway is completed, we can look forward to much easier access from Chiba to the Yokohama area.

 

Project Summary

• Project name: Tateyama Expressway, Kisarazu minami Section Work
  
• Location: Kisarazu-shi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
  
• Contracted by: Japan Highway Public Corporation
  
• Construction period: January 29, 1991 to June 17, 1996
  
• Description: Highway
  
  • Total length: 4,325 m
    
  • Excavated earth: 351,600 m²
    
  • Fill-up earth: 351,600 m²
    
  • Elevated section: 127 m