Part of Tokyo Expressway near Ginza set for pedestrian-friendly makeover

[thomas]

According to the metropolitan government, the Tokyo Expressway encircling the Ginza district will be decommissioned on 5 April and repurposed as a public walkway and marathon course for the Deaflympics in November. The 2-kilometre-long U-shaped KK Route was initially constructed in 1966 by reclaiming sections of the Shiodomegawa and Kyobashigawa rivers. It was designed to support Ginza's postwar recovery and ease traffic congestion in the area. The KK Route is currently linked to the Metropolitan Expressway, but with plans to relocate the Nihonbashi section underground between the Kandabashi and Edobashi junctions, it will soon be left without connecting roads, marking the completion of its purpose.

Photo credit: Tokyo Kousoku Expressway Co.​

The Tokyo metropolitan government in 2019 started discussing how to use the site of the KK Route. After listening to experts' opinions, the government decided to introduce "a public space catering mainly to pedestrians." The KK Route is expected to be repaved to incorporate cafes and benches for visitors. It will also be redeveloped to host recreational events. The entire KK Route is expected to be reconstructed in the 2030s or 2040s. "We will collaborate with communities nearby to create a vibrant atmosphere," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said about the project. "It will be revived as a space filled with attractions for pedestrians, such as a night view from a unique perspective."

KK Route around Ginza to get facelift friendly to pedestrians | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis