Effective Road Construction in Sparsely Populated and Cold, Snowy Regions -An Example in Soya, Hokkaido, the Northernmost Part of Japan

抄録

Against the backdrop of severe fiscal conditions of the Japanese government, more effective and efficient implementation of public projects is required. In terms of physical distribution efficiency and medical support, the roles and demands of road construction in rural areas without expressway networks are even more important than those in urban areas. However, prompt construction of roads in rural areas is not expected because of the low priorities based on traffic volumes. Under these conditions, effective and efficient road construction in view of local characteristics and traffic conditions has begun in the Soya region of Hokkaido, the northernmost part of Japan, ensuring the required functions of safety, high speed and the like. The purpose of this report is to introduce pioneering work in the region, where the challenges include a sparse population, snow and low temperatures.