Japan Eyeing New Target for Eliminating Utility Poles

   Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)--Japan's infrastructure ministry will set a new target for accelerating efforts to move power lines underground and eliminate existing above-ground utility poles.
   Specifically, in its envisaged new five-year plan starting in fiscal 2026, the ministry will list sections of emergency transport routes in urban areas for which it aims to complete work to replace utility poles with underground power cables by fiscal 2030, informed sources said. The ministry hopes to formalize the new plan next spring, after discussions by a panel of experts.
   The ministry is mainly seeking the removal of utility poles located along approximately 21,826 kilometers of urban-area emergency transport routes that have a high risk of collapsing in the event of a disaster. As of the end of fiscal 2024, such work had been completed for only 35 pct of the high-priority areas.
   The current program, covering fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2025, sets a target for the construction start rate.
   In areas where putting power lines underground is challenging due to reasons such as roads being narrow, the ministry plans to utilize roadside drains, the sources said.

(2025/07/07-15:12)

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