Meihan is a kanjiacronym of two characters. The first character represents Nagoya (名古屋) and the second character represents Osaka (大阪). Higashi (東) means east; together with the Meihan Expressway and Nishi-Meihan Expressway, it forms a corridor linking the greater Nagoya and Osaka areas.
Officially, the route is designated as the Kinki Expressway Nagoya Osaka Route,[2] however this designation does not appear on any signage. In some areas, signs on the route are written in Japanese as 東名阪道 or ひがし名阪道; this is to prevent confusion with the Tōmei Expressway which looks similar when written in Japanese.
The expressway runs from Nagoya-nishi Junction in Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya to Ise-Seki Interchange in Tsu. The expressway is built to the same standards as most other national expressways, with tolls being charged according to the distance traveled. It has at least two lanes in each direction, with three in some sections.[3]
History
The first section of what would later become the Higashi-Meihan Expressway opened to traffic in 1970.[1]
List of interchanges and features
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The exit numbers continue from the sequence of the Mei-Nikan Expressway, starting at 23.
東名阪自動車道
Nagoya Expressway Mamba Route
Mei-Nikan Expressway
Ise Expressway
