February 26, 2014 Regular interview with President Kaneko

[Moderator]

Thank you for waiting. We will start the 92nd regular meeting from now.

 

[President Kaneko]

Thank you for gathering your busy place.
Today, we have about 6 topics.

 

[Closed due to heavy snowfall]

First of all, due to the heavy snowfall from February 14th caused by the south coast low pressure, Tomei Chuo Expressway and Expressway in our jurisdiction were also obstructed for a long time. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers.
We will explain our response to this heavy snowfall.

Please see Document 1-1.
First of all, it was Tomei, but the snow that began to fall from early dawn on the 14th was a wide range of heavy snowfall, with a cumulative snowfall of 72 cm near the Yokohama-Machida interchange and a cumulative snowfall of 126 cm near the Gotemba interchange.

In the Tomei area, chain restrictions began at 15:15 on the 14th, but customers who did not wear winter tires, etc. traveled, and due to a sudden increase in the amount of snowfall from around 17:00 on the 14th, there was a vertical line around 19:00. There were a lot of customers stuck in.

As a result, the In-bound line was stagnant until the Numazu interchange. Out-bound line, we regulated the inflow between Tokyo and Atsugi interchange to prevent further increase in the number of vehicles, but then the amount of snowfall increased, and at 1 o'clock on the 15th, between the In-bound line between Shimizu and Oi-Matsuda interchange, 2 At 45 o'clock, the line between Tokyo and Oi-Matsuda Interchange was closed.

Tow trucks have been pre-arranged near the Tomei In-bound Susono Interchange and the Out-bound Ayuzawa PA where many stuck vehicles have occurred on the main line, and the movement of the staying vehicles has been completed by 1:30 on the 16th. After that, the snow removal work was repeated, and the road was closed at 22:00 on the 16th.

 

See Document 1-2.
Chuo Expressway Expressway, the snow that began to fall from the early morning of the 14th, like the Tomei Expressway, was a heavy snowfall with a cumulative total of 121 cm near the Kofu Showa Interchange, and was a heavy snowfall over a wide area along the Chuo Expressway Expressway, exceeding 1 m.

Chuo Expressway Expressway, we started snow removal work between the Kobuchizawa Interchange and the Sutama Interchange at 5:45 on the 14th, and carried out the snow removal work on all the snowfall areas, but due to the heavy snowfall, it was closed on the afternoon of the 14th and on the 15th. At 2:05, the line between Takaido Interchange and Nakatsugawa Interchange was closed.

After that, at 23:30 on the 15th, the traffic between the Iida and Nakatsugawa interchanges was lifted, but in Yamanashi prefecture, in order to remove solidified snow that exceeds 1 m, we brought in a rotary snowplow that is active in heavy snowfall areas to remove snow. Proceed, and at 23 o'clock on the 17th, the suspension of all lines from Chuo Expressway was canceled by canceling the suspension of traffic between the Hachioji and Suwa interchanges. In addition, the Fuji-Yoshida line has been closed together with Higashi-Fujigoko Road on all lines at 24:00 on the 19th.

 

Please see Document 1-3.
I heard that the snow this time is due to the low pressure on the south bank, and it is very difficult to predict, but it is very different from the weather forecast in advance, and in the vicinity of the Tomei Gotemba interchange, the predicted snowfall of 49 cm in the early morning of the previous day is 2.6 in the end. The heavy snowfall was doubled to 126 cm.

 

Please see Documents 1-4.
Similar to the Tomei Expressway, the Chuo Expressway Expressway also differs greatly from previous weather forecasts.In the vicinity of the Kofu Showa Interchange, the cumulative amount of snowfall was 121 cm, compared to the expected snowfall of 52 cm in the early morning of the day before, and especially around Kawaguchiko on the Fuji-Yoshida Line. Then, the total amount of snowfall was a heavy snowfall of 178 cm.

 

Please see the article 1-5. Chuo Expressway in the impassable section of, Otsuki the customers that have been retained by the snow at the exit of the interchange, well-equipped with facilities Dangozaka SA to, to lead the plow Out-bound and evacuation in reverse run the line, Dangozaka SA was to offer a meal to about 270 units of customers, including the customers need to.

Also, as we got information that Yamanashi Prefecture requested the SDF to dispatch, we contacted the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Eastern Division, which has a cooperation agreement at the time of disaster, and cooperated with the road development of the Higashifuji Higashi-Fujigoko Road Then, we secured an emergency transportation route and set up a support vehicle in Yamanashi Prefecture. Securing this approach route was also very useful for opening the whole line later.

The long-term suspension of traffic due to this snowfall caused a record snowfall in a short time, and multiple vehicles were stuck on the main line due to the lack of winter tires. This is because the snow removal work was difficult due to the staying vehicles, and the congestion behind the waiting vehicles prevented the vehicles behind them from moving, resulting in further congestion. Also, due to record heavy snowfall in the low snow area, it was necessary to remove a large amount of snow outside Expressway at Chuo Expressway. I think this is one of the reasons why it has become time consuming.

As for future actions, we will fully verify the issues based on this heavy snowfall. For example, we will verify how to provide information such as withdrawal information and congestion information, judgment of traffic closure as a countermeasure for stuck vehicles, means of moving vehicles, and information sharing with local governments and other road managers. .. Specifically, Shin-Tomei Expressway also we would like to consider enhancement of snow removal vehicles in anticipation of the extension of Aichi Prefecture section of.

If you are using Expressway and there is a heavy snow warning, make sure you have enough preparations, such as changing to winter tires, and refrain from departing if you do not have winter equipment. Please repeat.

 

[Current status of business (January 2014)]

See Appendix 2.

Toll revenue in January was 39,799 million yen, an increase of 8.2% year-on-year, and the average number of traffic per day was 1,822,000 units, an increase of 8.0% year-on-year. ..
For the beginning of the year, while was 3 consecutive holidays last year, this year has a good 5 consecutive holidays and day sequence, also, that generally blessed with good weather, Ken-O Road there is also such as the opening effect of some sections, revenue・ Both units are positive.

Next is the situation of construction.
We will report the progress of the roads scheduled to open in 2014.
And promoting business in collaboration with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ken-O Road For Sagamihara Aikawa interchange - Takao interchange 15km of, as already announced, the aim of opening of June this year, received a takeover from the ministry, in order, We are working on pavement and equipment construction.

For the Samukawa Kita Interchange to Ebina Junction 4km, we are currently constructing some bridges and preparing for pavement and various equipment.

It is a situation of 55km between the Shin-Tomei Expressway Hamamatsu-Inasa junction and the Toyota-higashi junction, but the tunnels and bridges are almost completed, some cutting work is underway, and pavement and We are also undertaking various equipment construction.

At the interview last month, I told you that naturally-derived heavy metals and pyrite are occurring more than expected, but in addition to that, there are signs of landslides on multiple cut slopes, There are areas where countermeasures are being taken, and areas where a small amount of subsidence has occurred on a part of the structure. Although there are some issues, we will continue to work with the understanding and cooperation of the local people toward the goal of opening the road within FY2014.

It is about 39km between the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway Obama interchange and the Tsuruga junction, but the construction of the road body such as tunnels and bridges is almost complete, and paving work, signage work and breaks across the entire line. We are at the final stage of construction of various facilities such as facilities and tunnels, and we will do our best to open all lines of Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway as soon as possible.

 

Next is the usage status of ETC. The average daily usage rate in January was 91.7%.

Next is the situation of service areas.
January service area sales were ¥ 14,930 million, an increase of 9.6% year-on-year.
Sales of the Food and Beverage Sales Division increased 5.2% year-on-year. We believe that this is due to the fact that it was used by a large number of customers as we were blessed with a good calendar and good weather, just like the business situation.

Sales in the “Gasoline Division” increased by 21.1% year-on-year, increasing substantially as in the previous month. In addition to the increase in refueling volume, we think that the unit price of gasoline is about 11 yen per liter plus.

 

[3-Year Plan for Improving Safety]

Please see Document 3.
On January 15th and February 12th of this year, we conducted "Inspection Technology Basic Training" for 47 of our office work employees who work at the maintenance and service center. The purpose of this training is to provide employees who are engaged in road maintenance and who are not directly involved in inspections with the basic knowledge of structure inspection.

The venue is a new bridge model, "New Bridge", which was installed in Nagoya University jointly by Nagoya University, our company, and Nakanihon Highway Engineering Nagoya, which is a Companies in our Group.

In the future, we plan to hold training about six times a year, and we expect to have about 300 people in three years including this year, which is equivalent to all administrative staff working at the maintenance and service center.

By taking advantage of what we learned in the training and seeing it from various perspectives across different types of occupations, we can heighten our interest in safety and share what we felt as "funny" within the company, so that even a little safety can be achieved. I hope that you can increase

 

Please see Document 4.
In our company, Tomei and Chuo Expressway have removed the tunnel ceiling plate, etc., but Hokuriku Expressway also has Tsuruga tunnel and Imajo tunnel top of the tunnel. We will remove the ventilation ducts and ventilation towers installed at. For this reason, there will be traffic closures between the Tsuruga interchange and the Takefu interchange on Tuesday, March 18, Tuesday, March 25, Tuesday, April 8, and 15 nights from Wednesday, May 7 to Sunday, May 18.

In addition, due to the installation of information signs at the Tsuruga Junction, where the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway, which is under construction, will connect to the Hokuriku Expressway, we will be closed at night from Kinomoto Interchange to Tsuruga Interchange on both April 21st and Tuesday 22nd.

The traffic will be closed during the hours from 20:00 to 6:00 the next morning when traffic is light, but both sections will also be constructed with continuous lane restrictions day and night.
Please use general national highway No. 8 for the detour of the closed section. Also, when using the Kansai region from Toyama / Niigata prefecture or Toyama prefecture / Niigata prefecture from the Kansai region, please use the Tokai-Hokuriku Expwy as a wide-area detour.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

 

【emergency training】

Please see Document 5.
Three years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck on March 11, 2011.
Based on the experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we have been building a support and cooperation system with the Self-Defense Forces, etc., and proceeding with the maintenance of stockpiles in service areas and parking areas.

The Tokai earthquake, which is said to have a 88% chance of occurring within the next 30 years, the Nankai Trough giant earthquake whose damage forecast was reviewed last year, and the earthquake directly below the Tokyo metropolitan area, may affect our Expressway A large-scale earthquake is expected to occur. In preparation for these earthquakes, we will carry out intensive disaster prevention drills at a total of 413 locations, including 161 service areas / parking areas and 252 toll booths, aiming for greater safety and security for our customers.

This training has been conducted since 2012 after the Great East Japan Earthquake.Customer evacuation guidance training at Expressway toll gates, customer evacuation guidance training at service areas and parking areas, and disaster preparedness supplies In addition to the operation training to actually move the AED, this year, we are planning new operation training for the AED and acceptance training for the disaster dispatch medical team.

We would like to inform the media organizations of the training on March 6th and 7th, at the places listed in the materials you have.

 

[Development and operation of rapid charging infrastructure for electric vehicles]

Please see Document 6.
In April 2010, we established a quick charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in the Tomei Expwy Ebina service area and Kamigo service area and started operation. Up until now, we have been providing Large sequentially, such as Shin-Tomei Expressway and Chuo Expressway.

This time, by utilizing the subsidy of the "Next Generation Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Development Promotion Project" which is the national supplementary budget for 2012, new areas such as service areas and parking areas on the Hokuriku Expressway and Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway that have not been developed until now We have decided to implement a joint project to develop 51 rapid charging infrastructures and operate them together with existing facilities.

In this joint project, we are mainly in charge of infrastructure development, and Japan Charge Network Co., Ltd. is in charge of maintenance and operation of infrastructure. In the future, we will jointly apply for a subsidy, start a new maintenance, and plan to operate it from this fall.

Through this joint project, we will be able to provide charging services throughout the entire area of our company. It is possible to prevent a rear-end collision caused by a so-called "electrical depletion" caused by a stop on a Expressway, thus improving safety. We also believe that we can contribute to promoting the spread of next-generation vehicles and improving the convenience of electric vehicle users.

 

[Eco-friendly initiatives]

Please see Document 7.
We have set "contribution to the environment and sustainable society" as one of the priority areas of our CSR activities and are implementing environmentally friendly activities.
At the Toyokawa Construction Office, we are working with the local people on the cherry tree revitalization activities in Shinshiro city, Aichi prefecture, during the construction between the Shin-Tomei Expressway HamamatsuInasa JCT and Toyota-higashi JCT. So far, we have planted a total of approximately 570 wild cherry trees in the Shin-Tomei Expressway parking area (tentative name) and other areas with local people and high school students.

On March 8th, by JA Aichihigashi customers, Shin-Tomei Expressway Gen Shitara parking area of the (In-bound to the line), Shinshiro high school students of you we plan the planting of seedlings about 120 pieces of wild cherry tree that grew from the seed .. It will take several years for the cherry blossoms to bloom in full bloom, but I would like you to look forward to it.
On the day of the tree planting, we will publish the tree planting situation to the media as well as the materials you have, so please take a look.
We will continue to work to strengthen regional cooperation and contribute to the local community and economy.

These are the topics we have prepared today.

 

[Moderator]

Now, we are ready to receive your questions.

 

[Reporter]

Although it was a heavy snowfall, it was clear that it was a record snowfall and we had a lot of trouble dealing with it. Please tell us in detail what challenges were found as a road administrator during this heavy snowfall.

 

[President Kaneko]

Even now, snow removal work is still in progress, and not all issues have been collected at this stage. However, as a result, there were more than two hundred stagnation vehicles at the Otsuki Interchange on the Chuo Expressway Expressway, so I think it is necessary to consider countermeasures based on these things. For example, I think how to add or expand our snow and ice vehicles is one way.

I heard that this heavy snowfall was the first heavy snowfall in 45 years. I think it is very difficult to prepare equipment for such a record heavy snowfall. In Fukui prefecture, I had been closed to Hokuriku Expressway for a long time during the 2011 Fukui heavy snowfall. With this experience, each road administrator, traffic administrator, local government, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism usually have a network of information. In areas where there is a danger of heavy snowfall, we usually build a network and this is working, so I think it will be a great reference.

One point of reflection is that there was no such network in areas such as Kofu City and Gotemba City where it does not snow much. It seems that the local government has already started calling, but there is a danger of typhoons and heavy rains as well as snow. I think one of the lessons learned this time is the importance of building a network on a regular basis, not after this happens.

 

[Employees]

We have mentioned the issues of strengthening cooperation with other related organizations and the addition / reinforcement of snow and ice vehicles, but I think it is necessary to consider from various viewpoints other than that. For example, it is necessary to verify in many ways the provision of information in advance that heavy snowfall is likely to occur, information from the beginning of the snowfall, or information on the possibility of lifting the road closure.

It will be a consultation with the police who is the traffic manager, but what kind of information can be issued on the information board is not only "chain regulation", but there are also cases where the Shiga Prefectural Police issued information that "winter tires are necessary" Therefore, I think that it is necessary to consider providing such information in a wide area. Tomei Expressway is used by many customers over long distances, so I would like to consider how to cooperate with other road companies and provide information.

This time, we provided food, water, etc. to the stuck car as customer support, but at that time, it will be necessary to consider providing information such as when to release it. think. I would like to solve these issues one by one and use them for future improvements.

 

[Reporter]

The Shizuoka Prefectural Police told the interviewer about the stuck car near the Tomei Susono IC on the 14th, "Why NEXCO CENTRAL does not close early" from the stage on the 14th. Please tell us your thoughts on whether we could not close the road sooner, or whether there was any delay or error in judgment. Also, please let us know if you have any plans to improve.

 

[President Kaneko]

Our mission is to have customers use the Expressway as much as possible, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The timing of road closure will be decided in consultation with the Company, which manages the road, and the police, which manages the traffic. There are various factors such as the weather at that time, the weather forecast, the condition of the road surface, the amount of traffic, and the condition of general roads that are detours.

I think that what was wrong and what was good about this road closure will be verified in the future. If you close the road early, there is a possibility that the car will get off the general road and the general road will be congested, so it will be a difficult decision. As I mentioned earlier, all managers, including road managers, traffic managers, and local governments, will hold discussions and make the best decisions. I think one of the improvements is how to do that.

 

[Reporter]

If there was a mistake in the judgment, it would be the recognition that it was in the driver's preparation or in the forecast of the Meteorological Agency.

 

[President Kaneko]

It is not an error but a different result. I heard that rain changes into snow only when the temperature near the surface is different by one or two degrees. I don't recognize it as it is difficult to judge it as a prediction.

 

[Reporter]

It was a heavy snowfall this time, but please tell us if you recognize this lesson as a lesson for other large-scale disasters. Is it possible to consider a new mechanism, such as a mechanism to move the vehicle off the Expressway?

 

[President Kaneko]

I would like to take this lesson as a lesson. Especially in Shizuoka prefecture, we have experienced landslides caused by heavy rain and large waves caused by typhoons, and we have been forced to close due to these events. I think the most important lesson is that all parties involved, including our company, must be fully prepared for such various disasters.

I would like to make use of the know-how and other information on managing Expressway in the Hokuriku region. I think that it will be difficult for the road company alone to efficiently guide the outflow of stranded vehicles, as the laws will be involved. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism also seems to be thinking about amending the law, so we would like to cooperate with you by providing information.

 

[Employees]

In order to stop the traffic, it is necessary to consider in advance the access on the general road side connecting to the interchange and smart interchange, and the place where the traffic will leak. We consult with police and road managers in advance, and we are considering a closed section from the perspective of whether the traffic capacity will be okay if it leaks to a national road. We have already taken measures such as stopping the traffic in another section where access is weak and traffic cannot be accommodated even when getting off the general road.

 

[Moderator]

It seems that the question has been interrupted, so this will end the regular press conference.