The Japanese authorities have approved a project to build a conveyor road for the transportation of goods between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka. The length of the road will be 515 km, and its cost will reach 3.7 trillion yen (23.5 billion USD), The Gurdian writes.

Japan is experiencing a chronic shortage of labor in the trucking industry. The shortage of drivers, who carry about 90% of Japan’s freight, will increase even more after a new law is introduced this year that will limit their overtime. Authorities say this will solve the problem of overwork and reduce the number of accidents.

The conveyor will operate around the clock and aims to solve both problems. According to Juri Endo, a senior official at the Ministry of Transportation overseeing the project, the road will also help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

“We need to be innovative with the way we approach roads,” says Yuri Endo. “The key concept of the auto flow-road is to create dedicated spaces within the road network for logistics, utilising a 24-hour automated and unmanned transportation system.”

The first test runs should begin in 2027 or early 2028, and full operation of the road is scheduled for the middle of the next decade. If the project is successful, it could be expanded to cover other parts of Japan. The ministry estimates that logistics highways can handle the work of 25,000 truck drivers per day.