The Obon period is one of Japan’s three major holiday seasons, accompanied by intensive domestic and international travel activities. The 2016 Obon travel period is anticipated to start from Aug. 6 (Sat.) and last until Aug. 16 (Tue.). The West Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO-West) anticipate the morning and early afternoon of Aug. 13 to be peak times for travellers heading south, with traffic expected to be bumper to bumper for the 20 km stretch leading up to the Kiyama Parking Area. Meanwhile, northbound travellers can expect the peak of traffic on Aug. 14 between the afternoon hours and evening, especially those using the Hirokawa Interchange (up to 15 km traffic jam anticipated). For other predicted traffic jams, click here. The 30% off ETC discount will only apply on weekends and holidays during the holiday period (i.e., Aug. 6, 7, 11, 13 and 14), and only to kei cars and standard-sized vehicles. Please note: there may be further disruption in some areas due to continuing reconstruction work after the Kumamoto earthquakes. NEXCO-West issued a warning to drivers to refrain from using their mobile phones while stuck in traffic, as the probability of a car accident increases for those not concentrating in a traffic jam. Source: NEXCO website, 7/8
(Photo: provided by the City of Fukuoka)
