Breaking: Major Accident on Keiji Bypass Causes Temporary Closure, Now Reopened. How Are the Gusto and Petrol Stations?

There was a bit of a commotion on the Keiji Bypass from early this morning. Just as the morning rush was about to get going, it seems there was an accident involving a large truck and a car. The stretch from Kumiyama to Kusatsu was affected. A friend messaged me saying, "It's completely jammed right now," and I thought to myself, this is going to cause a day-long traffic jam.

Major Road Closure After the Accident

It looks like the inbound lanes from Kyoto-Minami IC to Kusatsu-Tanoue IC were completely closed for a while to allow for an investigation. I heard the accident was serious enough that a vehicle was filming from above. By the afternoon, though, the scene had been cleared and the road closure was lifted. Thanks to the police and fire department working quickly, at least it didn't drag on into the night – that's a small mercy.

Traffic is incredibly heavy in that area even on a normal weekday, so even after the road reopened, the knock-on effects lingered for a while. The flow always tends to slow down around Gusto Keiji Bypass. Today, with the accident, I heard the tailback stretched even further back than usual.

How Are the Key Petrol Stations Holding Up?

In situations like this, what drivers really worry about is running out of fuel or finding a pit stop when nature calls. If you're a regular on the Keiji Bypass, these are the places you want to keep in mind.

• apollostation Keiji Bypass Kusatsu SS (West Japan Usami): It's on the left heading towards Kusatsu, so you need to time it right if you're heading inbound, but they do refuelling and car washes. It's popular with locals, and many drivers hop onto the bypass specifically to use it.
• ENEOS EneJet Self-Service Station Keiji Bypass (Ito Yusuke Co., Ltd.): This one's on the opposite side, serving the outbound lanes, and it's a 24-hour self-service station. Apparently, it got quite busy in the morning with cars that were held up by the accident, but things are back to normal now.

We often just drive past these two, but they're a real lifeline when you need them. Having apollostation and ENEOS in that stretch is a huge relief when unexpected trouble like today's accident crops up.

A Driver's Rest Stop: How Was Gusto?

Then there's Gusto Keiji Bypass, pretty much the only rest stop in that area. It seems quite a few drivers hung out there while the road was closed. Someone who passed by said the car park was almost full in the morning, with queues forming outside. It calmed down by the evening, but I bet plenty of people were nursing a drink at the soft drink bar for longer than usual today.

The Keiji Bypass has limited alternative routes, so when an accident happens, the whole area can grind to a halt. I heard that nearby National Route 1 and the prefectural roads were also jammed from the morning with cars diverting away from the bypass. For residents in that area, it must have been a right nuisance.

Latest Traffic Info and What to Expect

From what I've heard from those involved, the wreckage has been cleared. There are no specific restrictions in place at any of the Keiji Bypass interchanges. However, I've also heard that they still need to inspect the road surface and wrap up some fine details of the investigation, so if you're driving through tonight, it's still best to slow down, especially around Gusto and the merging lanes at the interchanges, and keep a close eye on the traffic around you.

Petrol stations tend to get crazy busy on days like this, so both apollostation Keiji Bypass Kusatsu SS and ENEOS EneJet will likely be crowded this evening with the usual after-work refuelling rush. If you have the time, it'd be a smart move to go early tomorrow morning or late at night instead.

A big thanks to the police, fire department, and expressway crews who were on the scene today. I just hope anyone caught up in the accident wasn't too seriously hurt.