Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line

The Tōkyō -wan- Aqua -Line (Japanese東京湾 アクア ラインTōkyō -wan akuarain ) is a combination of bridge and tunnel across Tokyo Bay in Japan and with less than 10 km, the longest undersea tunnel in the world for car traffic. The tunnel itself is 9.5 km long, followed by a 4.4 km long bridge. The transition from bridge to tunnel done on the artificial island Umi hotaru (海ほたる, literally Meeresglühwürmchen ). At Umi hotaru there are numerous restaurants and viewing platforms. The most visible characteristic wind tower (風 の 塔Kaze no tō ), which protrudes about midway between the island and the mainland opposite the bridge from the water used to ventilate the tunnel.

In the tube, 60 meters below the water surface, the National Road 409 runs with two lanes in each direction. The building connects the south of Tokyo located in Kanagawa Prefecture Kawasaki industrial region with Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture on the Boso Peninsula.

The construction of the Tōkyō -wan- Aqua -Line, the journey time between these two important industrial regions is reduced to 15 minutes, or to a distance of 15.4 kilometers. Previously, the track was about 100 kilometers long, because you had to drive around the entire Bay of Tokyo and thereby inevitably pass through the center of Tokyo. A crossing by ferry takes at least one hour. Since the completion of the project, the traffic load has been reduced on selected routes through Tokyo.

Planning construction began in 1966, the work itself was incorporated in 1989 and ended in May 1997. In December 1997, the road was opened to traffic for. The cost of the project amounted to € equivalent of about 10 billion.

The expectations that were placed on the Aqualine, but are not quite met. Far fewer vehicles than originally thought to use the abbreviation, which is mainly due to the high tolls. Thus, the TBA is symptomatic of decades of Japanese government policy, which has operated through enormous spending on infrastructure projects, economic development. In this way, just emerged in the Tokyo region numerous tunnels, bridges and highways that are maintained by semi-private government companies and are therefore subject to a toll. These operators are complex cartels from former government officials who may require reasons lack of competition excessive fees.

It is operated by East Nippon Expressway connection. The toll for cars is normal since August 1, 2009 3,000 yen for paying cash, for users of the electronic toll collection system ETC 800 yen.

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