Minamikyushu Expressway
南九州自動車道
Route information
Length	140 km (87 mi)
Existed	1988–present
Major junctions
From	Yatsushiro Junction in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Kyushu Expressway
To	Kagoshima Junction in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Kyushu Expressway Ibusuki Skyline
Location
Country	Japan
Major cities	Minamata, Izumi, Akune, Satsumasendai, Ichikikushikino, Hioki
Highway system
National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan

Minamikyushu Expressway (南九州自動車道, Minami-Kyūshū jidōshadō) is one of the Expressways of Japan from Yatsushiro to Kagoshima linking with the Kyushu Expressway. It runs through the southern half of Kumamoto prefecture, and the northern half of the Kagoshima prefecture. The total length is 140 km.

Overview

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 1988. As of March 2007 the expressway incomplete in many areas. The next sections are scheduled to open in 2009 ( Tanoura Interchange to Ashikita Interchange). After this, Most of the incomplete areas will be built according to the New Direct Control System, whereby the burden for construction costs will be shared by the national and local governments and no tolls will be collected. Currently the section between Hinagu Interchange and Tsunagi Interchange, Noda Interchange and Akune Interchange, and Satsumasendai-Mizuhiki Interchange and Ichiki Interchange operates according to this principle.

The route parallels the Kagoshima Main Line of Kyushu Railway Company and National Route 3 for much of its length.

History

• October 19, 1988, a section from Kagoshima-nishi to Kagoshima Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 26, 1998, a section from Ijuin to Kagoshima-nishi Interchanges was opened to traffic.
• April 20, 1998, a section from Yatsushiro Junction to Yatsushiro-minami Interchange was opened to traffic.
• October 6, 2001, a section from Yatsushiro-minami to Hinagu Interchange was opened to traffic.
• April 6, 2002, a section from Ichiki to Ijuin Interchanges was opened to traffic.
• February 27, 2005, a section from Hinagu to Tanoura Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 13, 2005, a section from Kushikino to Ichiki Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 3, 2007, a section from Satsumasendai-Miyako to Kushikino Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 31, 2008, the Miyama Interchange was opened.
• April 29, 2009, a section from Tanoura to Ashikita Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 10, 2013, a section from Satsumasendai-Mizuhiki to Satsumasendai-Takae Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 7, 2015, a section from Satsumasendai-Takae to Satsumasendai-Miyako Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 29, 2015, a section from Akune-kita to Akune Interchange was opened to traffic.
• December 19, 2015, a section from Noda to Akune-kita Interchange was opened to traffic.
• February 27, 2016, a section from Ashikita to Tsunagi Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 11, 2017, a section from Tanaono-kita to Noda Interchange was opened to traffic.
• November 12, 2017, a section from Izumi to Tanaono-kita Interchange was opened to traffic.
• March 2, 2019, a section from Tsunagi to Minamata Interchange was opened to traffic.

Interchanges

This article contains a bulleted list or table of intersections which should be presented in a properly formatted junction table. Please consult this guideline for information on how to create one. Please improve this article if you can. (November 2021)

• IC - interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, BS - bus stop, TN - tunnel, BR - bridge, TB - toll gate
• Bus stops labeled "○" are currently in use; those marked "◆" are closed.

No.	Name	Connections	Dist. from Origin	Dist. from Terminus	Bus stop	Notes	Location
(18-1)	Yatsushiro JCT	Kyushu Expressway	0.0	141.9		Only accessible for Kumamoto and Fukuoka	Kumamoto	Yatsushiro
1	Yatsushiro-Minami IC	National Route 3	6.6	135.3
TB	Hinagu TB		10.4	131.5
2	Hinagu IC	National Route 3	12.0	129.9
3	Tanoura IC	National Route 3	20.8	121.1				Ashikita
4	Ashikita IC	Pref. Route 27 (Ashikita Kuma Route)	28.8	113.1
5	Tsunagi IC	National Route 3	36.5	105.4				Tsunagi
6	Minamata IC	National Route 3 National Route 268	42.1	99.8				Minamata
<7>	Fukuro IC	National Route 3	49.5	92.4		Planned
<8>	Izumi-Kita IC		53.9	88.0		Planned	Kagoshima	Izumi
9	Izumi IC	National Route 328	58.4	83.5
10	Takaono-Kita IC	Pref. Route 374 (Izumi Takaono Route)	62.3	79.6
11	Noda IC	Pref. Route 368 (Arasaki Tashiro Route)	65.1	76.8
12	Akune-Kita IC	National Route 3 National Route 389 Hokusatsu-Odan Road (planned)	69.1	72.8				Akune
13	Akune IC	Pref. Route 46 (Akune Togo Route)	73.3	68.6
<14>	Nishime IC	National Route 3	77.4	64.5		Planned
<15>	Okawa IC	National Route 3	82.7	59.2		Planned
<16>	Yuda-Nishikata IC		90.5	51.4		Planned		Satumasendai
17	Satsumasendai-Mizuhiki IC	National Route 3	95.7	46.2
18	Satsumasendai-Takae IC	Pref. Route 43 (Sendai Kushikino Route)	99.2	42.7
19	Satumasendai-Miyako IC	National Route 3 (Kumanojō Bypass)	105.9	36.0
TN	Miyako Tunnel		106.6	35.3
TN	Kinzan Tunnel		111.1	30.8				Ichikikushikino
20	Kushikino IC	Pref. Route 39 (Kushikino Hiwaki Route)	112.4	29.5
BS	Ichiki BS		115.9	26.0	◆
TN	Osato Tunnel		116.9	25.0
21	Ichiki IC	National Route 3	119.7	22.2
BS	Higashi-Ichiki BS		120.7	21.2	○			Hioki
22	Miyama IC		124.7	17.2		Only accessible for Kagoshima
PA	Miyama PA		124.7	17.2
TB	Miyama TB		124.9	17.0
BS	Ijuin BS		129.3	12.6	○
23	Ijuin IC	Pref. Route 206 (Tokushige Yokoi Kagoshima Route)	130.8	11.1
24	Matsumoto IC/TB	Pref. Route 210 (Koyamada Taniyama Route)	135.6	6.3				Kagoshima
BS	Matsumoto BS		136.3	5.6	◆
25	Kagoshima-Nishi IC	Pref. Route 24 (Kagoshima Higashiichiki Route)	141.0	0.9
(29)	Kagoshima IC/JCT	Kyushu Expressway Ibusuki Skyline	141.9	0.0
Kagoshima Tozai Doro

Lanes

• 2-lane

See also

• Kyushu Expressway
• Japan National Route 3
• Kagoshima Main Line
• West Nippon Expressway Company

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Minami-Kyushu_Expressway.