Drivers on the Kyushu Expressway in Kumamoto Prefecture are hitting an uneven stretch of road left by a quake three months ago, with some saying their cars lurch without warning.
The expressway shifted sharply in the Kumamoto earthquake and is open to traffic again, but the uneven surface remains. One driver said the car bounced up and down while passing over it.
"It was a shock. It went boing, boing," one user said. Another described "a bump that suddenly made the car jump — it felt like it lifted." A driver traveling the road said the unevenness is not obvious at first glance, which makes the jolt more startling.
Speed limits urged near the stretch
Authorities have asked drivers to slow down around the uneven surface to reduce the impact. Not everyone complies, and some drivers say fast traffic approaching from behind is frightening.
"They don't follow the limit. They speed, and they come up from behind — it's scary," one user said.
NEXCO West Japan, the operator of the expressway, said the current surface is an emergency measure. "This is an emergency measure for now, and we are aiming for a complete restoration with zero unevenness," the company said.