構想から16年、札幌の『都心アクセス道路』が着工！渋滞緩和や空港アクセス向上に期待も、事業費は1.5倍に膨らみ完成時期は見通せず

Sixteen years after its conception, construction on the "City Center Access Road," connecting the area around Sapporo Station to the expressway, began this month. What kind of future will it lead to? This is National Route 5, also known as Soseigawa Street, which runs north-south through Sapporo. On the 3rd, construction was underway from Kita 5-jo to Kita 10-jo. Reporter Nanami Kumagai: "Construction has already begun at Kita 9-jo. Normally three lanes in each direction, it's been reduced to two. The sidewalks are also closed." This is the "City Center Access Road" construction that began this month. In the completed image video, "Sapporo city center" and the "Sapporo Kita Interchange" of the Sassho Expressway are connected by a tunnel. Where will the tunnel entrance be located when heading north from Sapporo Station? Reporter Nanami Kumagai: "Even during the daytime on weekdays, the area in front of the station is quite busy. The entrance to the access road leading to the Sassho Expressway will be around here at Kita 8-jo." The "access road" will be approximately 4.8 kilometers long. The tunnel exits will be located at "Kita 26-jo," which connects to the Sapporo Kita Interchange on the Sasson Expressway, and at "Kita 37-jo," which is convenient for those heading towards Ishikari and Tobetsu. Meanwhile, the landscape of the lanes heading from the expressway towards central Sapporo will change dramatically compared to the present. Reporter Nanami Kumagai: "This expressway will have a direct access ramp connecting it to the Sasson Expressway, which doesn't exist now." The Sasson Expressway will be "directly connected" to the underground tunnel. This will allow drivers to head straight to central Sapporo. Taxi driver: "I think it will be convenient. When picking up passengers from the expressway (Sasson Expressway) to New Chitose Airport, for example, we'll be able to go straight through." Currently, there are 22 traffic lights between "Kita 3-jo" on Soseigawa Street and "Kita 34-jo," where it intersects with the Sasson Expressway. One survey showed that traveling this 4.8-kilometer distance by car took 9 to 21 minutes in the summer and up to 41 minutes in the winter. Professor Toru Miyamoto, Hokkaido Bunkyo University: "To put it simply, using an underground tunnel will be the most expensive option, but it will be the most thorough solution to traffic congestion. One option is to concentrate traffic in the central Sapporo area as a capacity issue." The total project cost is 180.9 billion yen. According to the Sapporo Development and Construction Department, the cost has ballooned to 1.5 times the initial estimate due to rising material costs and groundwater countermeasures. Once the "City Center Access Road" is completed, it is expected to improve traffic congestion, allow for increased use of expressways, and improve access to Okadama Airport. The Sapporo Development and Construction Department, which is in charge of the construction, says, "There are many uncertain factors due to the construction of the underground tunnel, and at this point, we cannot predict the completion date."