The route to and from Haneda Airport will likely take longer than expected for drivers over the next 10 days.

The Metropolitan Expressway (Shutoko)’s Route No. 1 Haneda Line is closed from May 27 until 5 a.m. on June 10 due to the complete replacement of the Daishi Bridge that links Tokyo’s Ota Ward with Kawasaki over the Tama River — the latest phase of major renovations made to the 60-year-old expressway.

The operator of the expressway warned of traffic jams during the two-week period that started Saturday similar to those typically seen at year-end, asking people to refrain from taking the expressway system, especially during daytime.

Some sections of the expressways leading to Haneda are closed throughout this period, including the following:

  • Between the Daishi entrance/exit and Heiwajima entrance/exit on the Kanagawa Route No. 1 Yokohane Line (in both directions).
  • Between Showajima junction on the Route 1 Haneda Line and the Tokai junction of the Bayshore Route (in both directions).

In order to access Haneda Airport, the operator recommends using the Bayshore Route. However, due to surrounding closures drivers are likely to experience heavy traffic there.

Several surrounding on- and off-ramps are closed throughout this period, leading to what’s predicted to be massive congestion of anywhere from 30 minutes to over 100 minutes of added time for typical travel routes.

For those traveling between Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo, the operator recommends changing travel dates, limiting driving, using public transit, taking advantage of remote work, or resorting to driving during nonpeak hours when possible throughout the closures.

As long delays in bus operations are also expected during the period, Keihin Kyuko Bus has stopped accepting seat reservations for its limousine bus service linking Haneda Airport and several locations in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway was opened in 1962. Since then, the number of vehicles traveling on the artery has skyrocketed from just 60,000 to 1 million per day in 2022, resulting in a rise in necessary repairs, according to the operator.

Around 1,200 cracks have so far been discovered on the Daishi Bridge, and replacing the bridge with a new and improved structure will reduce the problem of cracks and offer durability for the long term.

Real-time traffic updates can be found on the Shutoko road traffic information website and app, both titled Mew-ti. Updates and on-demand information can be accessed via social media by searching for and following the handle “@shutoko-traffic” on either Twitter or LINE, or by accessing the QR codes here.