There are approximately 1,000 km of arterial high-standard highways and 90,000 km of ordinary roads in Hokkaido. Of these ordinary roads, 6,000 km are national highways, 12,000 km are prefectural highways, and the remaining 71,000 km are roads administered by local municipalities. Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau is in charge of administrative works such as construction, renovation, maintenance and disaster restoration of national highways, and a part of arterial high-standard highways.

Arterial high standard highway networks are exclusive to automobiles, designed to promote nationwide high-speed transport services, and to strengthen the connections among important bases such as major cities, airports and ports. The government decision was made on June 26, 1987, to designate 14,000-km-long arterial high-standard highway networks, based on the proposal from Road Council.