The infrastructure ministry said Friday that it will give money to local governments if they declare a target deadline to complete urban road construction, which has long been hindered by delays in land procurement.
For example, if local governments declare a road will be complete in three years and concentrate on procuring land within that deadline, the ministry will help by measures such as providing subsidies, it said.
The policy will be limited to urban road projects approved by city development plans adopted by local governments.
Many urban public works projects have been delayed due to refusal by landowners to sell property to local governments, which also pushes up costs of those projects. In Tokyo and other major cities across the country, 54 road routes have remained unfinished more than 10 years although more than 90 percent of the land has already been procured, according to the ministry.
In Tokyo alone, 45 percent of urban road projects approved by the city development plan remain unfinished, the ministry said.