The transport ministry Tuesday unveiled a plan to make 1,626 km of the nation's expressways toll-free in fiscal 2010, an experiment in accordance with the ruling party's key election promise to eventually remove user fees from most rural expressways.

The plan will affect 37 routes, mostly in rural areas, and includes sections of the Chuo, Higashi Kyushu, Do-o and Okinawa expressways.

The 1,626 km represents about 18 percent of the nation's expressways excluding the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Hanshin region surrounding Osaka.