Yamate Tunnel, Road tunnel in Tokyo, Japan
Yamate Tunnel is a road tunnel beneath the surface of Tokyo, linking the Takamatsu area in Toshima to the Oi Junction in Shinagawa and extending roughly 18 kilometers (11 miles). The tubes run about 30 meters (98 feet) below ground and carry two lanes in each direction through separate sections.
Work on this underground passage started in 1992, when planners sought to ease growing traffic between districts. The first segment from Takamatsu to Nishi Shinjuku opened in December 2007, while the entire route became operational in March 2015.
Since completion, the name Yamate shapes how residents perceive this structure as part of Tokyo's metropolitan infrastructure, with the term referring to the western hills of the capital. Drivers experience the continuously lit tubes as a reliable connection between northern and southern neighborhoods.
Vehicles follow the underground route between Ikebukuro and Oi without traffic lights or intersections. Emergency exits appear every 350 meters, and monitoring cameras track traffic flow continuously.
This passage holds the position of longest road tunnel in Japan and ranks second worldwide. Only the Laerdal Tunnel in Norway exceeds it in length.
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