There are two main roads to Yabe, 445 to the north and 218 to the south. I find 218 preferable as its slopes are marginally less panic-inducing, but it’s understandable that those who live along 445 have not been pleased with the continued severance of a 4.3KM section of the road since the quakes. (There is a bypass, but it’s even more tortuous.) Kumanichi reports on bad news: engineers are shrugging their shoulders at any imminent restoration due to a combination of mountains and gravity (the accompanying photo gives a hint at the challenges). The article quotes a local gas station owner who commented with laconicism typical of Kumamoto: “Business has been up due to the number of construction vehicles, but still, I suppose it would be good to reopen the road.”
Aside from Route 57 through Tateno (which is being rerouted through a tunnel via Ozu), this is apparently the final road that remains severed due to the quakes. - William
