Operator Hopes To Reopen Snowbound Expressway


Operator hopes to reopen snowbound expressway

A toll road operator in Japan says it hopes to fully reopen a section of an expressway where hundreds of vehicles remain stranded in heavy snow.

East Nippon Expressway President Obata Toru held a news conference on Friday about the trouble on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.

Obata said he was sorry that many people have been trapped in their vehicles for hours on end, adding that about 670 vehicles were still stuck as of 3 p.m. on Friday.

He said the operator is working to remove the snow and resume services on Saturday morning.

Obata said that at around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, about 2,100 vehicles got stranded, and the operator hadn't expected such heavy snowfall in one day.

Vehicles started to get stuck on the section on Wednesday. The outbound lane has resumed services.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency says coordinated efforts are being made to evacuate the stranded people to nearby hotels by the end of Friday.