Japan National Route 18

National Route 18 is a national highway connecting Takasaki and Joetsu, Niigata in Japan. A section of the highway is designated as a part of the Japan Romantic Road.

Route data

Length: 193.9 km
Origin: Takasaki
Terminus: Jōetsu, Niigata
Major cities: Komoro, Ueda, Chikuma, Nagano

History

4 December 1952 - First Class National Highway 18
1 April 1965 - General National Highway 18

Municipalities passed through

Gunma Prefecture
*Takasaki - Annaka
Nagano Prefecture
*Karuizawa - Miyota - Komoro - Tomi - Ueda - Sakaki - Chikuma - Nagano - Obuse - Nagano - Iizuna - Shinano
Niigata Prefecture
*Myōkō - Jōetsu - Myōkō - Jōetsu

Intersects with

Gunma Prefecture
*Routes 17, 354 and 406; at Takasaki City
Nagano Prefecture
*Route 146; at Karuizawa Town
*Route 141; at Komoro City - Ueda City
*Routes 143, 144 and 152; at Ueda City
* Route 403; at Chikuma City
* Routes 19, 117 and 406; at Nagano City
Niigata Prefecture
* Route 292; at Myoko City
* Route 405; at Joetsu City
* Routes 8 and 350; at the terminus in Joetsu City

Bypasses

Among other sections already finished, a bypass running on the west side of the Chikuma River from the extreme southern part of Nagano City to Ueda is currently under construction. As of 2008, only a small amount of sections of this bypass has been completed. The completed sections are in Ueda, just west of the Chikuma River, and in Chikuma from Inariyama to just south of Yawata.