Kurio-toge Pass (a pass on a national route in Keihoku-hosono-cho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City) (栗尾峠)
Kurio-toge Pass is a pass on a national route in Kehoku-hosono-cho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.
Summary
It is located on National Route 162 at an altitude of 421 meters. This pass is a chokepoint on the Shuzan-kaido Road, which connects Kyoto Prefecture and Fukui Prefecture. Amongst the passes around 400 meter high on the current National Route 162, Kurio-toge Pass is the only one which doesn't have a tunnel. There is now increasing demand to drill a tunnel directly under the pass and build Kurio Bypass. Indeed, the plan has reached the stage of surveying the area and the acquisition of land has begun. Once completed, it will become another pass with a tunnel on National Route 162 such as Kasa-toge Pass, Horikoshi-toge Pass and Fukami-toge Pass.
Features of the pass
Vehicles can use Kurio-toge Pass as it is on a national route. As National Route 162 is a main road connecting Kyoto City and Wakasa Bay, there is heavy traffic with large vehicles including freight and trailer vehicles. The road is also heavily used by tourists and other car users because it goes through Kyoto City center. The road over the pass is double lane, but because it has continuous steep slopes and tight curves it is imperative to build the bypass mentioned above. Kurio Bypass is scheduled to open in 2014.
Neighboring passes
Kasa-toge Pass (Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City)
Fukami-toge Pass (Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City and Nantan City)