Ten sections of the Hanshin Expressway — about 160 kilometers — will be closed to traffic from early in the morning until late night during the G20 summit which will be held June 27-30 in Osaka.
Traffic restrictions will also be in place for roads connecting Kansai International Airport and hotels and summit venues in the city, the Osaka prefectural government and police said. Traffic to and from the International Exhibition Center (INTEX Osaka) — the summit’s main venue on Sakishima Island — and the Hanshin Expressway’s Bayshore Line, will also be prohibited.
The restrictions are being put in place to facilitate the movements of leaders representing 19 countries and the European Union (EU), as well as hundreds of other high-level officials coming for the summit, Fuji TV reported.
Police said closing the Hanshin Expressway would be more effective than placing and lifting restrictions during the day as VIPs come and go. It is projected that over 100 entrances and exits along the expressway will be closed during the summit.
Police said the public will be asked to avoid using the expressway during the summit.
The Hanshin Expressway is the main transport artery in the Kansai metropolitan area, with more than 800,000 vehicles using it each day.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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ClippetyClop
"Asked"? So if I drive into the interchange the cops will 'ask' me not to use the expressway? I don't live in Kansai but I'd be furious about this. Put them all on buses and make them stay in hotels close to the venue. I could understand China or some other tinpot country doing this, but surely not Japan?
Disillusioned
It will be flipping closed! How the heck can anybody use it? Bwahahahaha! TIJ!
Cricky
Sorry about that, we are seriously trying to wring more money out of you, please understand after we Finnish Talking about how great we are you can go about your lives with extra tax and lower income. You'd have to be insane to complain. You might have paid 10 times the roads worth but we expect 1000 times profit from it.
nandakandamanda
This will totally snarl up traffic which is near unbearable for much of the day anyway, even with the Hanshin taking its normally extra-heavy load.
thepersoniamnow
Ugh G20, kindly take your selves to Tokyo.
Or why not use the Senkaku Islands for something unifying. These guys come here and close down the cities’ arteries...self important much?
As a tax payer, the city should give you a rebate.
jeancolmar
What are they going to about emergency vehicles?
kurisupisu
How about taking the time off work?
Another mini GW in the making for Kansai!!!
Arrrgh-Type
You think this is something? Just wait until the Olympics. IOC bigwigs aren't going to be sitting around in traffic, I can tell you that.
Mlodinow
Wouldn't it be easier to helicopter them in if there is such a security risk? Or to hold the summit in a more out of the way location? Stupid plan organized by idiots.
Belrick
160kms will hit businesses hard! Employers better allow for staff being late without penalty! And imagine the chaos for truckers!
Should have hosted it in Fukushima, see how many leaders would be willing to come then!
KariHaruka
I'm surprised that these idiots didn't think about holding it around let's say Golden Week or Obon. They could've crippled Osaka's traffic even more if they did that!