The Central Loop Shinagawa Route of Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway or Shutoko completed on March 7, which makes the total 47 km loop fully open to traffic. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in Yamate Tunnel in Shinagawa ku, Tokyo with attendance of local communities, project owners and contractors.

Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe expressed his expectation that the inauguration will ease traffic congestion in the capital. “I would like to pay my greatest respect to all the stakeholders and contractors who successfully completed challenging construction,” Infrastructure Minister Akihiro Ohta said at the ceremony.

The 9.4 km Shinagawa section, most of which is built underground, connects with another 9.8 km tunnel already open to traffic, making the longest tunnel for expressways in the world.

The travel time from Shinjuku to Haneda Airport is expected to be shortened from 40 minutes to 20. With the shortcut route completed, logistics networks in the greater metropolitan region will be enhanced. (2015/03/10)