Japan National Route 42
National Route 42, also called Kumano Kaidō or Tropical Route is a national highway connecting Hamamatsu, Shizuoka and Wakayama, Wakayama in Japan. Part of the route requires crossing Ise Bay on the Ise-wan Ferry. It is the 8th longest national highway in Japan.
Route data
The total length on the main road is 487.2km. However, by factoring in the overlapped section and the sea crossingthe total distance becomes 540.3km. At the origin Hamamatsu, the route starts overlapped with Route 1 and, is a junction to route 257 and 300. The route passes through the cities of Tahara, Toba, Ise, Matsusaka, Owase, Kumano, Shingū, Tanabe, and Gobō. At the terminus Wakayama, there is a junction with national route 24 and 26.Overlapping sections
- From the origin to Kosai: Route 1
- From Tahara to Toba : Route 259
- From Toba to Ise: Route 167
- From Ise to Matsusaka : Route 23
- From Tanabe to Minabe: Route 424
History
Route 42 was originally designated in January 1945 as a section of Route 41, which ran to Tokyo. This ran concurrent with Route 1. On 18 May 1953 Route 41 was classified as a Class 2 highway and redesignated as Route 170, which was later redesignated as Route 42 when the route was promoted to a Class 1 highway. On 1 April 1965, the classification of Class 1 and Class 2 was discontinued, redesignating it as General National Route 42.On 1 April 1993, the highway was changed by removing the section of Tsu-Matsusaka and adding the Hamamatsu - Matsusaka. This was part of the plan to connect the Atsumi Peninsula, though the Kii Peninsula, Shikoku, Kyushu and terminating at Okinawa. This plan is called the Japan Sea National Land Axis Plan.
Passes through
;Shizuoka Prefecture- Hamana Bypass
- * Hamamatsu - Kosai
- Sanen Ise Access Road - Planning Stage
- * Hamamatsu - Ise
- Matsusaka - Taki Bypass
- * Matsusaka - Taki
- Kumano - Owase Road
- * Owase - Kumano
- Odomari Bypass
- * Kumano
- Kumano Road
- * Kumanoo
- Kiho Bypass
- * Kiho - Shingu
- Shingu - Kiho Road
- * Kiho - Shingu
- Nachikatsuura - Shingu Road
- * Shingu - Nachikatsuura
- Kushimoto - Taiji Road
- * Taiji - Kushimoto
- Susami - Kushimoto Road
- * Kushimoto - Susami
- Yuasa - Gobo Road - Toll Road
- * Gobo - Yuasa
- Hiki River Road
- * Sasumi - Shirahama
- Tanabe Bypass
- * Kamitonda - Tanabe
- West Tanabe Bypass
- * Tanabe
- Yura Bypass
- * Yura - Hirogawa
- Arida Bypass
- * Arida
- Shimizu Widening - Partially Under Construction
- * Kainan
- Arita - Kainan Road - Partially Under Construction
- * Arida - Kainan
- Kainan Bypass
- * Kainan