Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline


The Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline is a toll road in Hirosaki, Japan which partially ascends Mount Iwaki and is notable for its steep gradient and 69 hairpin turns. The road ascends over an average gradient of 8.66%, with some sections going up to a 10% gradient. The road terminates at the 8th station on Mount Iwaki, a stratovolcano, at which point a chairlift is available from the 8th station to the 9th station. The Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline has been considered one of the most dangerous mountain roads in the world. Both the road and the chairlift are managed and operated by Iwaki Skyline Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Kōnan Bus Company.

Tolls

The prices listed are for a round trip up and down the road, as of 2017:
Construction on the Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline began in April 1958. When the road opened on August 25, 1960 as part of the Kōnan Bus Expressway Division it was the first toll road in Aomori Prefecture. In 1972 a one-way chairlift was added, starting from the 8th station, where the road ends, up to the 9th station. In 1993 the chairlift was upgraded to allow for two-way travel. In April 1999, the company operating Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline and the chairlift changed its name to "Iwaki Skyline Co., Ltd."