OUTLINE OF WINTER ROAD MANAGEMENT MEASURES IN JAPAN

Japanese road managers face unique challenges in dealing with winter weather conditions. Snow accumulates in approximately 60% of the nation, including cities with populations of up to one million people and highly concentrated social and economic conditions. This report briefly outlines Japanese winter road surface conditions and principle measures used to deal with them. These issues include: 1) Current Japanese winter weather and roadway surface conditions; 2) Major Japanese winter road management issues, including occasional snow accumulation of 1 meter per day, increasingly dangerous road surfaces due to a prohibition on spike tires, steep topography, and rapidly changing weather conditions; and 3) Response to principal problems, including levels of snow removal on roads and sidewalks (including snow removal scale and commuting criteria), measures to deal with frozen road surfaces (including antifreezing agents, especially spreading and problems), avalanche and drifting snow protection measures (including identifying locations where such conditions may occur using an inspection manual), and provision of road information (including installation of snow cover meters, frost detectors, signs, etc.). Examples of road information provision on mountain roads with winter snow accumulations of 4-5 meters per month, including roadside broadcasting to drivers, ITV system monitoring, and provision of visual information to drivers using information terminals, are described. This report also describes road management features unique to Japan.

• Corporate Authors:

  PTRC Education and Research Services Limited

  Glenthorne House, Hammersmith Grove
  London W6OL9,   England 
• Authors:
  • Yasuyuki, M
  • Tadao, M
• Conference:
  • Xth PIARC International Winter Road Congress
  • Location: Lulea, Sweden
  • Date: 1998-3-16 to 1998-3-19
• Publication Date: 1998

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: p. 91-100
• Serial:
  • Volume: 3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver information systems; Frigid regions; Highway maintenance; Information display systems; Snow and ice control; Winter maintenance
• Geographic Terms: Japan
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00751522
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Technical Report, Volume 1, Volume 2
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 3 1998 12:00AM