East Nippon Expressway Company Announces Start of Construction for New Ken-O Expressway Section on August 27

East Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO East) has announced that construction for the new section of General National Route 468 (Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway) will commence on August 27, 2026. The announcement was published in the Official Gazette (Extra Edition) dated August 26, 2026, and was issued under the name of President and Representative Director Mikio Yoshioka.

The announcement is based on the provisions of Article 22, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Special Measures for Road Improvement and is a statutory public notice intended to inform residents along the route and users when expressway construction is carried out. The target of this notice is a new section of the Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway (Ken-O Expressway), a high-standard trunk road connecting the ring route of the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Construction Section and Route Overview

The section targeted for this new construction is from Matsuzaki, Kanzaki Town, Katori District, Chiba Prefecture to Matsuzaki in the same town. The announcement indicates the overall route extends from Numata, Inashiki City, Ibaraki Prefecture to Yoshioka, Narita City, Chiba Prefecture.

• Route Name: General National Route 468 (Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway)
• Construction Section: From Matsuzaki, Kanzaki Town, Katori District, Chiba Prefecture to Matsuzaki in the same town
• Type of Work: New construction
• Construction Start Date: August 27, 2026

Positioning of the Ken-O Expressway Development

The Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway is a high-standard trunk road that connects the outer edges of the Tokyo metropolitan area in a ring, and is expected to contribute to the diversion of traffic passing through the city center, the improvement of logistics efficiency, and the strengthening of regional cooperation. This new construction project develops a portion of this ring network and will lead to improved traffic access around Kanzaki Town and its surrounding areas.

Impact on the Route and Future Outlook

With the start of construction, there may be traffic restrictions and noise caused by the delivery of materials and the operation of heavy machinery along the route. Based on the Act on Special Measures for Road Improvement, this announcement serves to provide prior notice of the construction, providing important information regarding the progress of expressway development for local residents, logistics operators, and commuters.

The completion date and the date the road opens for service are not explicitly stated in the announcement, and future progress will be closely monitored. Relevant local governments and users are interested in how the progress of the Ken-O Expressway will impact the logistics network and the expansion of commuting zones in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Source: East Nippon Expressway Company Limited, “Public Notice of Commencement of Expressway Construction” (Published in the Official Gazette Extra Edition, dated August 26, 2026). Legal Basis: Article 22, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Special Measures for Road Improvement.