Ten sections of the Hanshin Expressway — about 160 kilometers — will be closed to traffic from early in the morning until late night during the G20 summit which will be held June 27-30 in Osaka.

Traffic restrictions will also be in place for roads connecting Kansai International Airport and hotels and summit venues in the city, the Osaka prefectural government and police said. Traffic to and from the International Exhibition Center (INTEX Osaka) — the summit’s main venue on Sakishima Island — and the Hanshin Expressway’s Bayshore Line, will also be prohibited.

The restrictions are being put in place to facilitate the movements of leaders representing 19 countries and the European Union (EU), as well as hundreds of other high-level officials coming for the summit, Fuji TV reported.

Police said closing the Hanshin Expressway would be more effective than placing and lifting restrictions during the day as VIPs come and go. It is projected that over 100 entrances and exits along the expressway will be closed during the summit.

Police said the public will be asked to avoid using the expressway during the summit.

The Hanshin Expressway is the main transport artery in the Kansai metropolitan area, with more than 800,000 vehicles using it each day.

© Japan Today