Tokyo / Focusing on easing traffic congestion at intersections, the next "Intersection Clearance Plan" to be developed in fiscal 2024
November 11, 2024
Maintenance image (from the Tokyo Metropolitan Construction Bureau flyer)
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will make further efforts to ease traffic congestion at intersections. As the current "Third Intersection Clearance Plan" (2015-2024), which aims to promote countermeasures against traffic congestion, is about to end, the next plan will be developed in fiscal 2024. Roadside land near intersections will be reclaimed and new right-turn lanes will be installed to reduce congestion caused by vehicles waiting to turn right. A meeting will be held later this year with officials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Construction Bureau to identify areas for improvement. The next plan is planned for 10 years starting from 2025.
In the process of selecting the target intersections for the next plan, the opinions of experts within the department will be sought. The plan is to increase the credibility of the project by asking them to check whether the selection process is appropriate.
In 1994, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government formulated the first version of the Intersection Clearance Plan. Since then, the second and third versions have continued. The main purpose is to ease traffic congestion in the Tama area. The third plan includes 76 improvement sites (71 in the Tama area and 5 in the wards), with a total project cost of 39.3 billion yen. Intersections that take more than two minutes to cross and are not targeted by other projects will be selected for maintenance.
During the project's implementation, negotiations with landowners for land acquisition were lengthy, and in some cases, it took time to complete the project. Of the 76 intersections included in the third plan, 33 were new, while 43 were carried over from the second plan.
From April 1994 to September 2024, 118 intersections were either completely or partially renovated. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the traffic congestion time at the Kurihara Shinden intersection in Mizuho Town was reduced from 120 meters to 20 meters. In addition to increasing the number of lanes, there was also a safe pedestrian space.
The smoother traffic flow through intersection renovations also benefits economic activity. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to continue to work actively to alleviate traffic congestion.
