New Highway Access Transforms Niseko Travel – Ski Resorts Just 10 Minutes Away

[Kutchan] Route Details Unveiled for Kutchan–Niseko Section of Shiribeshi Expressway

Details Revealed for Kutchan–Niseko Highway Section: Improved Access to Resorts

The Otaru Development and Construction Department has revealed the detailed route of the planned Niseko Highway—a new 11.7 km section of the Hokkaido Expressway connecting Kutchan IC and Niseko IC (both tentative names). A public briefing was held at the town office with around 40 landowners in attendance.

Between the two interchanges, a new Hirafu IC is planned in the Hirafu area, located between the Sunmollitz Bridge and Route 5. Kutchan IC and Hirafu IC will offer convenient access to major Niseko resort zones.

The section was approved for development in FY2024, following surveying and geological studies.

Kutchan IC will be built near the town’s waste center in Asahi, putting the Hanazono ski area within a 10-minute drive. Hirafu IC will be located around 3 km from Takasago, spanning over the JR Hakodate Line, Route 66, and the Shiribetsu River—Hirafu will also be reachable within 10 minutes.

The distance from Hirafu IC to Niseko IC is approximately 8 km. This part of the Niseko Highway will run parallel to Route 5 and the under-construction Hokkaido Shinkansen. Niseko IC will be near the Michi-no-Eki “Niseko View Plaza” in Motomachi.

The project includes 10 bridges ranging from 20 to 260 meters in length and no tunnels. The road will be a single lane in each direction (13.5 m total width) with a 3.5 m lane on each side and a central divider, matching the specifications of other ongoing sections.

Further land surveying and negotiations for property acquisition and compensation will take place as the design progresses. While no official construction or opening date has been provided, similar projects like Yoichi–Kutchan took about two years from approval to groundbreaking.

During the briefing, residents raised concerns about the highway splitting farmland and how access would be maintained.