Itako Bypass completion pushed to 2030 by transport officials

Commuters driving through Ibaraki Prefecture face a three-year delay before the 7.3-kilometer Itako Bypass connecting route reaches completion, after transport officials pushed the final target date to 2030. The Kanto Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced the revised schedule in September 2026, alongside a budget increase that lifts total project costs from roughly 31億円から約40億円へ to about 40 billion yen.

Project Scope and Sourced Cost Adjustments for the Itako Bypass

The Itako Bypass spans 7.3 kilometers within Itako City, but construction focuses specifically on a 1.2-kilometer stretch running from Koizumi to Nampukunishi-Nishi. Both sources report that this new segment parallels the under-construction Higashi-Kanto Expressway Mito Line north of Itako Interchange. The active expansion serves directly as a side road connecting local traffic back to National Route 51. Meanwhile, the eastern 1.3 kilometers opened back in 2002 as the Itako-Sawara prefectural road, featuring four lanes that currently funnel traffic toward the Itako Interchange.

According to the sources, the roughly 9 billion yen cost increase stems from several distinct factors. Planners added new construction methods, absorbed soaring material and labor expenses, and integrated closed-circuit television cameras alongside information transmission boxes. The project zone sits inside a low-lying flood inundation designated area where heavy downpours frequently trigger standing water. Officials plan to use the new surveillance equipment to monitor river overflow risks in real time.

Land Acquisition Nears Completion as Project Deadline Shifts to 2030

Both sources confirm that land acquisition reached approximately 99 percent completion as of the end of March 2026. The Kanto Regional Development Bureau calculated a cost-benefit ratio of 1.2, clearing the threshold required to demonstrate economic validity. Even with these favorable figures, the completion target shifts from fiscal 2027 to fiscal 2030.

The remaining 4.8 kilometers of the broader planned bypass west of the National Route 51 main line lack any official projectization status. For now, drivers crossing the Shingingu Bridge over the Kitaura from Kashima City use the existing route until reaching a T-junction that diverts vehicles onto the prefectural road toward the interchange.

Eliminating Bottlenecks Around JR Kashima Line’s Enokata Station

Completing the active construction corridor eliminates chronic delays for motorists traveling between the Kashima Bypass and Itako Interchange. National Route 51 currently suffers from consecutive traffic signals around JR Kashima Line Enokata Station, which drag down average driving speeds. The finished bypass configuration routes through-traffic away from these congested town segments.

The sources note that the initial 2002 opening left the infrastructure in a fragmented state where a regional road stood in place of a true national highway bypass. Once the remaining 1.2-kilometer link finishes construction by 2030, the corridor will finally operate as intended.