National Route 39 (国道39号, Kokudō Sanjūkyū-gō) is a Japanese national highway connecting the two cities of Asahikawa and Abashiri in northeastern Hokkaido. The 215.7-kilometer-long (134.0 mi) highway begins at an intersection with National Routes 12 and 40 in Asahikawa. It travels northeast across the northern side of Hokkaido to Abashiri where it ends at an intersection with the paired National Route 244 and National Route 391.
Route description
National Route 39 is a 215.7-kilometer-long (134.0 mi) highway in northern Hokkaido that runs north from Asahikawa to Abashiri. Its southern terminus lies at an intersection in central Asahikawa where it meets National Routes 12 and 40. Along the way from Asahikawa to Abashiri, it passes through the town of Kamikawa and the city of Kitami. Its northern terminus in Abashiri is at an intersection where it meets National Route 244 and National Route 391.[2]
History
National Route 39 was preceded by the Abashiri Road, a Meiji period road built to link the current cities of Asahikawa and Abashiri. Ordered by Genrōin secretary Kaneko Kentarō, construction on the road began in April 1886. It was completed by making use of prison labor from the prisoners that were to be incarcerated at Abashiri Prison in northeastern Hokkaido. The prison laborers were mainly political dissidents that Kaneko viewed as morally deficient.[3] Construction of the Abashiri Road and the others leading from the more-developed southern part of Hokkaido to the prison were of strategic importance to Japan, which viewed Hokkaido as being vulnerable to an invasion from their neighbor, the Russian Empire.[4]
On 4 December 1952 the highway was designated by the Cabinet of Japan as Primary National Highway 39 between Asahikawa and Abashiri.[5] On 1 April 1965 it was reclassified as General National Highway 39 without any changes being made to its routing.[6]
Eastern terminus; highway continues east as National Route 244 and south as National Route 391; end of concurrency with National Routes 240, 242, and 243
^"一般国道の路線別、都道府県別道路現況" [Road statistics by General National Highway route and prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
^"占用制限を行う路線一覧(一般国道)" [List of routes that restrict private use (general national highways)] (PDF). Hokkaido Development Bureau (in Japanese). 12 July 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
^"開拓の基盤を作った囚人道路" [Foundations laid by prisoner-built road]. Tsukigata History (in Japanese). 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2020.