History

1960

Construction of the Metropolitan Expressway began in 1959. Its first section opened between Kyobashi and Shibaura in 1962.
In 1964, Haneda Airport and Tokyo Olympics Venues were connected.

* Total length: 71.3km (as of the end of FY 1969) Average daily traffic
volume: 323,000 vehicles (as of FY 1969)

Route opened during FY 1962 - 1964
(1964 : Tokyo Olympics)
Route opened during FY 1965-1969
All route of Metropolitan Expressway (as of 2020)

1960 History

1962

December 20

First part opened in Metropolitan Expressway

Kyobashi - Shibaura (4.5km) opened
Toll: 50 yen (Tokyo Metropolitan zone/standard size vehicles)

1963

December 21

First junction in Metropolitan Expressway opened

Honcho - Kyobashi (2.2km)
Shibaura - Suzugamori (6.1km)
Gofukubashi - Edobashi JCT (0.6km) opened

1964

August 2

Connecting between Haneda Airport & Tokyo Olympic venues

Suzugamori - Airport West (4.8km)
Shiodome JCT - Shinbashi (0.3km)
Kandabashi - Hatsudai (9.8km)
Gofukubashi - Kandabashi (0.4km) opened

September 21

Miyakezaka JCT - Kasumigaseki (1.4km) opened

October 1

Tokyo Olympics-related roads completed nine days prior to opening ceremony

Hamazakibashi JCT - Shibakoen (1.4km)
Shibuya - Shibuya (1.3km) opened

1966

July 2

Kyobashi JCT (0.1km) opened

December 21

Airport West - Haneda (0.8km) opened

1967

March 30

Takebashi JCT - Nishi-kanda (1.2km) opened

July 4

Inner Circular Route completed

Shibakoen - Kasumigaseki (3.7km) opened

September 2

Tanimachi JCT - Shibuya (2.7km) opened

September 30

Route 2 (Meguro Line) completed

Ichinohashi JCT - Togoshi (5.9km) opened

1968

July 19

First Kanagawa Route opened. Total length exceeded 50km

Higashi-kanagawa - Asada (6.8km) opened

November 28

Asada - Haneda (6.9km) opened

1969

May 31

Route 1 (Ueno Line) completed

Iriya - Honcho (3.5km) opened

June 27

Nishi-kanda - Gokokuji (3.9km) opened

December 19

Gokokuji - Kita-ikebukuro (3.0km) opened

1960 Top

1970

In 1971, an originally planned section of approximately 71-kilometers was developed to near-completion. The radial routes were extended sequentially and connected with other expressways such as the Tomei Expressway and the Chuo Expressway.

* Total length: 138.7km (as of the end of FY 1979)
Average daily traffic volume: 704,000 vehicles (as of FY 1979)

Routes opened during FY 1970-1979
Routes opened by FY 1969
All route of Metropolitan Expressway (as of 2020)

1970 History

1971

March 21

Route 7 (Komatsugawa Line) completed,connecting to Keiyo Road

Edobashi JCT - Mukojima (7.9km)
Ryogoku JCT - Connecting section to Keiyo Road (10.4km) opened

December 21

Route 3 (Shibuya Line) completed, connecting to Tomei Expressway

Shibuya - Connecting section to Tomei Expressway (7.9km) opened

1972

August 7

Higashi-kanagawa - Yokohama Sta.W (2.2km) opened

1973

February 15

Yaesu Route completed.
Total length exceeded 100km

Nishi-ginza JCT - Kandabashi JCT (1.6km) opened

August 15

Eifuku - Takaido (2.5km) opened

October 27

Hatsudai - Eifuku (4.0km) opened

1976

May 18

Route 4 (Shinjuku Line) completed, connecting to Chuo Expressway

Connecting section to Chuo Expressway (0.7km) opened

August 12

Tokyo Port Tunnel opened

Oi - Rinkai-fukutoshin (2.8km) opened

1977

August 19

Kita-ikebukuro - Takashimadaira (8.6km) opened

1978

January 20

First section of route in Chiba Prefecture opened

Shin-kiba - Urayasu (6.0km) opened

March 7

Kanagawa Route 1 (Yokohane Line) completed

Yokohama-koen - Kinko JCT (4.0km)
Yokohama Sta.W - Connecting section to Daisan
Keihin (1.8km) opened

1970 Top

1980

In 1982, the Metropolitan Expressway was connected with the Higashi-Kanto Expressway and exceeded 150 kilometers in total length.This expressway was subsequently connected with the Joban Expressway as well as the Tohoku Expressway. In 1989, the total number of vehicles utilizing the Metropolitan Expressway had exceeded five billion.

* Total length: 217.4km (as of the end of FY 1989)
Average daily traffic volume: 1,045,000 vehicles (as of FY 1989)

Routes opened during FY 1980-1989
Routes opened by FY 1979
All route of Metropolitan Expressway (as of 2020)

1980 History

1980

February 5

Route 9 (Fukagawa Line) completed

Hakozaki JCT - Shin-kiba (7.0km) opened

1981

May 19

Ariake - Tatsumi JCT (1.7km) opened

1982

March 3

Mukojima - Senju-shinbashi (5.2km) opened

April 27

Route in Chiba Prefecture completed, connecting to Higashi-Kanto Expressway.
Total length exceeded 150km

Urayasu - Connecting section to Higashi-Kanto Expressway (6.9km) opened

1983

February 24

Oi - Tokai JCT (5.1km) opened

November 30

Horikiri JCT - Yotsugi (1.4km) opened

1984

February 2

Shin-yamashita - Yokohama-koen (1.8km) opened

December 12

Rinkai Fukutoshin - Ariake (1.8km) opened

1985

January 24

First route in Saitama Prefecture, Route 6 (Misato Line) completed,
connecting to Joban Expressway

Kosuge JCT - Misato JCT (10.6km) opened

1987

September 9

East segment of Central Circular Route completed, connecting to Tohoku Expressway.
Total length exceeded 200km

Yotsugi - Kasai JCT (11.2km)
Senju-shinbashi - Kawaguchi JCT opened

1989

February 11

Cumulative total traffic volume exceeded 5 billion vehicles

September 27

Yokohama Bay Bridge opened

Namamugi JCT - Shin-yamashita (8.8km) opened

December 16

Oi JCT completed, connecting Route 1 (HanedaLine) with Bay Shore Route

1980 Top

1990

The Metropolitan Expressway was connected with the Yokohama-Yokosuka Road in 1990, the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway in 1993, and the Tokyo-Wan Aqua Line in 1997. The Rainbow Bridge and the Tsurumi Tsubasa Bridge were also opened in this period.

* Total length: 263.4km (as of the end of FY 1999)
Average daily traffic volume: 1,159,000 vehicles (as of FY 1999)

Routes opened during FY 1990-1999
Routes opened by FY 1989
All route of Metropolitan Expressway (as of 2020)

1990 History

1990

March 20

Kanagawa Route 3 (Kariba Line) completed, connecting to Yokohama-Yokosuka Road

Ishikawacho JCT - Connecting section to Yokohama-Yokosuka Road (7.7km) opened

November 27

Takashimadaira - Toda-minami (2.6km) opened

1993

August 26

Rainbow Bridge opened

Shibaura JCT - Ariake JCT (5.0km) opened

September 27

Haneda Airport - Tokai JCT (4.2km) opened

October 26

Route 5 (Ikebukuro Line) connecting to Tokyo Gaikan Expressway

Toda-minami - Bijogi JCT (2.2km) opened

1994

December 21

Tsurumi Tsubasa Bridge opened

Daikoku JCT - Haneda Airport (16.4km) opened

1997

December 12

Ukishima Ramp opened

December 18

Kawasaki-Ukishima JCT completed, connecting to Tokyo-Wan Aqua Line

1998

May 18

Saitama Omiya Route opened

Bijogi JCT - Yono (8.0km) opened

1999

July 15

Connecting section to Yokohama-Yokosuka Road -Sugita (3.5km)
Sankeien (tentative) -Honmoku-futo (4.1km) opened

1990 Top

2000

In 2001, the total number of vehicles utilizing the Metropolitan Expressway exceeded 10 billion, and general ETC service began at 11 tollbooths.In 2005, the “Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited” was established.

* Total length: 299.3km (as of the end of FY 2009)
Average daily traffic volume: 1,120,000 vehicles (as of FY 2009)

Routes opened during FY 2000-2009
Routes opened by FY 1999
All route of Metropolitan Expressway (as of 2020)

2000 History

2000

April 17

Shintoshin-Nishi Ramp opened

2001

March 24

Cumulative total traffic volume exceeded 10 billion vehicles

March 30

ETC service introduced to public at 11 toll gates

October 22

Entire Bay Shore Route opened

Sugita - Sankeien (7.0km) opened

2002

March 29

Seishincho Ramp opened

April 30

Kawasaki-Ukishima JCT - Tonomachi (3.5km) opened

December 25

North segment of Central Circular Route completed

Itabashi JCT - Kohoku JCT (7.1km) opened

2004

May 26

Saitama Shintoshin Route opened

Shintoshin-nishi - Shintoshin (2.3km) opened

2005

October 1

"Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited” established

2006

August 4

Saitama Shintoshin Route completed

Shintoshin - Saitama-Minuma (3.5km) opened

2007

November 21

Yokohama-koen Ramp in Kanagawa Route 1 (Yokohane Line) opened

December 22

Central Circular Route between Route 4 (Shinjuku Line) and Route 5 (Ikebukuro Line) opened

Nishi-Shinjuku JCT - Kumanocho JCT (6.7km) opened

2008

February 25

Traffic volume of ETC-equipped vehicles exceeded 1 billion

2009

February 11

Toyosu Ramp in Route 10 (Harumi Line) opened (1.5km)

March 29

Daishi Ramp bound for Yokohama in Kanagawa Route 1 (Yokohane Line) opened

2000 Top

2010

In 2012, the tolling system was shifted from flat toll to distance-based tolls. In 2015, the entire Central Circular Route was opened, and this was followed by the Yokohama North Line in 2017.And in 2018, Harumi Line was opened.
The total length reached approximately 320 kilometers.

* Total length: 320.1km (as of the end of FY 2018)
Average daily traffic volume: 1,014,000 vehicles (as of FY 2018)

Routes opened during FY 2010-2019
Routes opened by FY 2009
All route of Metropolitan Expressway (as of 2020)

2010 History

2010

March 28

Central Circular Route between Route 3 (Shibuya Line)
and Route 4 (Shinjuku Line) opened

Ohashi JCT - Nishi-Shinjuku JCT (4.3km) opened

October 20

Kanagawa Route 6 (Kawasaki Line) opened.
Total length exceeded 300km

Tonomachi - Daishi JCT (2.0km) opened

2012

January 1

Toll system shifted from flat rate to distance-based rate

2015

March 7

Central Circular Route between Bay Shore Route and Route 3 (Shibuya Line) opened.
Central Circular Route completed

Oi JCT - Ohashi JCT (9.4km) opened

March 29

Oji-minami Ramp Opened

2016

April 1

Pricing by vehicle types (5 classes)　introduced in distance-based rate

2017

March 4

Minami-honmoku futo Ramp (Bay Shore Route) opened

March 18

Kanagawa Route 7 (Yokohama North Line) opened

Namamugi JCT - Yokohama-Kohoku JCT (8.2km) opened

2018

March 10

Route 10 (Harumi Line) opened

Harumi - Toyosu (2.7km) opened

2019

December 1

Komatsugawa JCT opened

December 19

Shibuya Ramp in Route 3 (Shibuya Line Outbound) opened

2010 Top

2020

In 2020, Yokohama Northwest Line was opened.

* Total length: 327.2km (as of the end of FY 2019)

Routes opened during FY 2020-2020
Routes opened by FY 2019
All route of Metropolitan Expressway (as of 2020)

1960

1960 History

1962

December 20

First part opened in Metropolitan Expressway

1963

December 21

First junction in Metropolitan Expressway opened

1964

August 2

Connecting between Haneda Airport & Tokyo Olympic venues

September 21

October 1

Tokyo Olympics-related roads completed nine days prior to opening ceremony

1966

July 2

December 21

1967

March 30

July 4

Inner Circular Route completed

September 2

September 30

Route 2 (Meguro Line) completed

1968

July 19

First Kanagawa Route opened. Total length exceeded 50km

November 28

1969

May 31

Route 1 (Ueno Line) completed

June 27

December 19

1970

1970 History

1971

March 21

Route 7 (Komatsugawa Line) completed,connecting to Keiyo Road

December 21

Route 3 (Shibuya Line) completed, connecting to Tomei Expressway

1972

August 7

1973

February 15

Yaesu Route completed.Total length exceeded 100km

August 15

October 27

1976

May 18

Route 4 (Shinjuku Line) completed, connecting to Chuo Expressway

August 12

Tokyo Port Tunnel opened

1977

August 19

1978

January 20

First section of route in Chiba Prefecture opened

March 7

Kanagawa Route 1 (Yokohane Line) completed

1980

1980 History

1980

February 5

Route 9 (Fukagawa Line) completed

1981

May 19

1982

March 3

April 27

Route in Chiba Prefecture completed, connecting to Higashi-Kanto Expressway.Total length exceeded 150km

1983

February 24

November 30

1984

February 2

December 12

1985

January 24

First route in Saitama Prefecture, Route 6 (Misato Line) completed,connecting to Joban Expressway

Yaesu Route completed.
Total length exceeded 100km

Route in Chiba Prefecture completed, connecting to Higashi-Kanto Expressway.
Total length exceeded 150km

First route in Saitama Prefecture, Route 6 (Misato Line) completed,
connecting to Joban Expressway

East segment of Central Circular Route completed, connecting to Tohoku Expressway.
Total length exceeded 200km