Overview
- NEXCO West closed the affected section from around 9:40 p.m. on Jan. 2 and said clearing the backlog will take time with no firm reopening estimate.
- About 30 vehicles slipped on snowy pavement and became immobilized, and officials reported several were using non-winter tires despite advisories.
- Congestion stretched to roughly 23 kilometers, and traffic also backed up on parallel National Route 2.
- Emergency responders assisted motorists, including a man in his 30s who was transported after reporting ear ringing, dizziness, and nausea.
- Hiroshima Prefectural Police reported multiple additional traffic accidents on the region’s highways overnight.