China Expressways, Highways: News & Discussions

[TaiShang]

Hong Kong hooks HZM Bridge up to Lantau Island
updated : 2017-05-23

The 12-km Hong Kong Link Road connecting Chek Lap Kok and Lantau islands to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) has been completed. The Hong Kong SAR Highways Department stated on May 18 that it had taken five years of painstaking efforts to build the dual three-lane carriageway.

The link connects the main bridge in waters of the Chinese mainland with Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities. It consists of a 9.4-km viaduct, 1-km tunnel through Scenic Hill, and 1.6-km ground road by land reclamation along the east coast of the Chek Lap Kok International Airport.

The culmination came with placement of the final tunnel box segment underneath the Airport Express Line of the Hong Kong MTR system on May 16. The segment is 14.5 m long, 23.5 m wide and 14 m high. It weighs 5 kilotons -- as heavy as 27 Boeing 747 airliners combined.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge [Photo Courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

Precise computer control ensured synchronous propulsion of all the jack units, preceding which an entire year was spent on soil reinforcement.

It was reportedly the most difficult part of the tunnel section, and the construction method had never been used before on similar projects in Hong Kong.

Another crucial construction accomplishment was the viaduct section, which was completed in March. Challenges included nighttime work so as not to disrupt normal operation of the nearby south airfield runway.

Road surfacing and facilities installation are said to be progressing as scheduled. Port projects including the passenger inspection and ancillary buildings, bridge, vehicle clearance square, and related facilities are also shaping up. The Highways Department is confident that the Hong Kong end of the three-city project will be in operation by year-end.

 

[AndrewJin]

Hong Kong hooks HZM Bridge up to Lantau Island
updated : 2017-05-23

The 12-km Hong Kong Link Road connecting Chek Lap Kok and Lantau islands to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) has been completed. The Hong Kong SAR Highways Department stated on May 18 that it had taken five years of painstaking efforts to build the dual three-lane carriageway.

The link connects the main bridge in waters of the Chinese mainland with Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities. It consists of a 9.4-km viaduct, 1-km tunnel through Scenic Hill, and 1.6-km ground road by land reclamation along the east coast of the Chek Lap Kok International Airport.

The culmination came with placement of the final tunnel box segment underneath the Airport Express Line of the Hong Kong MTR system on May 16. The segment is 14.5 m long, 23.5 m wide and 14 m high. It weighs 5 kilotons -- as heavy as 27 Boeing 747 airliners combined.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge [Photo Courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

Precise computer control ensured synchronous propulsion of all the jack units, preceding which an entire year was spent on soil reinforcement.

It was reportedly the most difficult part of the tunnel section, and the construction method had never been used before on similar projects in Hong Kong.

Another crucial construction accomplishment was the viaduct section, which was completed in March. Challenges included nighttime work so as not to disrupt normal operation of the nearby south airfield runway.

Road surfacing and facilities installation are said to be progressing as scheduled. Port projects including the passenger inspection and ancillary buildings, bridge, vehicle clearance square, and related facilities are also shaping up. The Highways Department is confident that the Hong Kong end of the three-city project will be in operation by year-end.

Better expressway network in Pearl River Delta!
Currently 6000km

 

[TaiShang]

Chongqing overpasses an impressive sight from the air
chinadaily.com.cn | 2017-06-01 08:46


Chongqing is a mountainous city in Southwest China, with many overpasses built to ease traffic pressure. It's estimated that there were 215 overpasses in the city by the end of 2016. This year marks the 20th anniversary since it became the fourth municipality after Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. To celebrate the anniversary, a group of photographers spent six months capturing the magic of the overpasses at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

 

[Shotgunner51]

Flyover in Chongqing shocks the Internet with its utter complexity
2017-06-01 08:4

A hub interchange completed on May 29, 2017 in mountainous Chongqing city has startled the Internet with its range upon range of roads and outlets. The five-storey structure Huangjuewan Flyover connecting more than 20 ramps is the largest, most complicated and functional hub interchange in China’s southwest area. It has aroused widespread attention since its construction work started in 2009. The flyover, depicted as “the city’s blood vessel”, links roads in eight directions including Guangyang Isle, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Grand Buddha Temple Bridge, Chaotianmen Bridge, Danzishi, Sigongli and the Tea Garden area. Confused netizens said it would be a great challenge to any navigation system. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Chao)

A bird's-eye view of the five-storey high Huangjuewan Flyover at night

 

[AndrewJin]

Chongqing overpasses an impressive sight from the air
chinadaily.com.cn | 2017-06-01 08:46


Chongqing is a mountainous city in Southwest China, with many overpasses built to ease traffic pressure. It's estimated that there were 215 overpasses in the city by the end of 2016. This year marks the 20th anniversary since it became the fourth municipality after Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. To celebrate the anniversary, a group of photographers spent six months capturing the magic of the overpasses at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

A bird's-eye view of overpasses in Southwest China's Chongqing at night. [Photo/VCG]

Chongqing's urban transport is a miracle.

Flyover in Chongqing shocks the Internet with its utter complexity
2017-06-01 08:4

View attachment 400543
A hub interchange completed on May 29, 2017 in mountainous Chongqing city has startled the Internet with its range upon range of roads and outlets. The five-storey structure Huangjuewan Flyover connecting more than 20 ramps is the largest, most complicated and functional hub interchange in China’s southwest area. It has aroused widespread attention since its construction work started in 2009. The flyover, depicted as “the city’s blood vessel”, links roads in eight directions including Guangyang Isle, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Grand Buddha Temple Bridge, Chaotianmen Bridge, Danzishi, Sigongli and the Tea Garden area. Confused netizens said it would be a great challenge to any navigation system. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Chao)

View attachment 400544
A bird's-eye view of the five-storey high Huangjuewan Flyover at night

Very efficient way to connect so many directions (8) within such limited space.
Chongqing is always a miracle in terms of a 3D public transport landscape.

 

[TaiShang]

Five-level Huangjuewan overpass in SW China's Chongqing
(Xinhua) 14:35, June 02, 2017


Photo taken on June 1, 2017 shows the five-level Huangjuewan overpass in the Nan'an District of Chongqing, southwest China. The newly-built overpass consists of 15 ramps with a total length of 16,414 meters. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin)


Photo taken on June 1, 2017 shows the five-level Huangjuewan overpass in the Nan'an District of Chongqing, southwest China. The newly-built overpass consists of 15 ramps with a total length of 16,414 meters. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin)

Photo taken on June 1, 2017 shows the five-level Huangjuewan overpass in the Nan'an District of Chongqing, southwest China. The newly-built overpass consists of 15 ramps with a total length of 16,414 meters. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin)

 

[AndrewJin]

Five-level Huangjuewan overpass in SW China's Chongqing
(Xinhua) 14:35, June 02, 2017


Photo taken on June 1, 2017 shows the five-level Huangjuewan overpass in the Nan'an District of Chongqing, southwest China. The newly-built overpass consists of 15 ramps with a total length of 16,414 meters. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin)


Photo taken on June 1, 2017 shows the five-level Huangjuewan overpass in the Nan'an District of Chongqing, southwest China. The newly-built overpass consists of 15 ramps with a total length of 16,414 meters. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin)

Photo taken on June 1, 2017 shows the five-level Huangjuewan overpass in the Nan'an District of Chongqing, southwest China. The newly-built overpass consists of 15 ramps with a total length of 16,414 meters. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin)

Baidu navigation's Chongqing map needs update now...

 

[Shotgunner51]

Baidu navigation's Chongqing map needs update now...

Update also needed with Amap
http://ditu.amap.com/

 

[TaiShang]

@AndrewJin , @Shotgunner51 , @Jlaw , @oprih , @Han Patriot .

Can't believe the world is home to this kind of clueless people (if they are not actually simply trolling, as say in the picture).

Western media apparently does not educate well; or mis-educate.

***

‘Does China have highways?’ shouldn’t even be a question: netizens
By Li Yan (People's Daily Online) 18:30, June 02, 2017

Does China have highways? This silly question was raised by an unidentified netizen in the U.S. on the question-and-answer site Quora, and it got a lot of replies from netizens who clearly know a lot more about China.

“I hope that this is a fake question. Do you think China is like in 1900? This is modern China, the second wealthiest country in the world,” a netizen wrote.

Another replied by saying that the length of Chinese highways has increased to a total length of 130,000 kilometers. That number is higher than the U.S., so raising such a silly question is either the result of Western media influence or because of ignorance about China.

Fortune Magazine said in a 2013 report that in the past decade alone, China has built 31,000 miles of expressways. That is about two-thirds the length of the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System, which was constructed at great cost since it was started some 60 years ago.

China will extend the length of its highways by another 5,000 kilometers this year. A Chinese company has shown interest in building a new highway that links the Coquimbo Region in Chile to San Juan Province in Argentina, Reuters said.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0602/c90000-9223584.html

 

[AndrewJin]

@AndrewJin , @Shotgunner51 , @Jlaw , @oprih , @Han Patriot .

Can't believe the world is home to this kind of clueless people (if they are not actually simply trolling, as say in the picture).

Western media apparently does not educate well; or mis-educate.

***

‘Does China have highways?’ shouldn’t even be a question: netizens
By Li Yan (People's Daily Online) 18:30, June 02, 2017

Does China have highways? This silly question was raised by an unidentified netizen in the U.S. on the question-and-answer site Quora, and it got a lot of replies from netizens who clearly know a lot more about China.

“I hope that this is a fake question. Do you think China is like in 1900? This is modern China, the second wealthiest country in the world,” a netizen wrote.

Another replied by saying that the length of Chinese highways has increased to a total length of 130,000 kilometers. That number is higher than the U.S., so raising such a silly question is either the result of Western media influence or because of ignorance about China.

Fortune Magazine said in a 2013 report that in the past decade alone, China has built 31,000 miles of expressways. That is about two-thirds the length of the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System, which was constructed at great cost since it was started some 60 years ago.

China will extend the length of its highways by another 5,000 kilometers this year. A Chinese company has shown interest in building a new highway that links the Coquimbo Region in Chile to San Juan Province in Argentina, Reuters said.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0602/c90000-9223584.html

Haha, God bless Trumpish Murica!

 

[Jlaw]

@AndrewJin , @Shotgunner51 , @Jlaw , @oprih , @Han Patriot .

Can't believe the world is home to this kind of clueless people (if they are not actually simply trolling, as say in the picture).

Western media apparently does not educate well; or mis-educate.

***

‘Does China have highways?’ shouldn’t even be a question: netizens
By Li Yan (People's Daily Online) 18:30, June 02, 2017

Does China have highways? This silly question was raised by an unidentified netizen in the U.S. on the question-and-answer site Quora, and it got a lot of replies from netizens who clearly know a lot more about China.

“I hope that this is a fake question. Do you think China is like in 1900? This is modern China, the second wealthiest country in the world,” a netizen wrote.

Another replied by saying that the length of Chinese highways has increased to a total length of 130,000 kilometers. That number is higher than the U.S., so raising such a silly question is either the result of Western media influence or because of ignorance about China.

Fortune Magazine said in a 2013 report that in the past decade alone, China has built 31,000 miles of expressways. That is about two-thirds the length of the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System, which was constructed at great cost since it was started some 60 years ago.

China will extend the length of its highways by another 5,000 kilometers this year. A Chinese company has shown interest in building a new highway that links the Coquimbo Region in Chile to San Juan Province in Argentina, Reuters said.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0602/c90000-9223584.html

Most likely from an Indian

 

[JSCh]

Photo taken on June 6, 2017 shows the entrance of Puyajiao Tunnel of Wenchuan-Barkam Expressway in Barkam City of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The expressway linking Wenchuan County and Barkam in Sichuan is under construction. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

川西入藏动脉汶马高速首座高风险长大隧道贯通
发表时间：2017-06-07 08:56来源：新华社 字体：[大][中][小] [打印] [关闭]

新华社成都6月6日电（记者胡旭）川西入藏动脉汶（川）马（尔康）高速首座高风险长大隧道——朴鸭脚隧道6日顺利贯通。

伴着梭磨河湍急的水声，建设者们欢呼雀跃。过去两年，他们在这片川西高原的地震活动带，与豆腐一样的软岩石和喷涌的地下水做斗争，今天终于迎来胜利。

据了解，汶马高速全长约174公里，是深入四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州的一条民生走廊。线路自四川盆地边缘向青藏高原地带挺进，海拔从1320米攀升至3225米，高达86.5%的桥隧比全国罕见。其中仅隧道就有33座96公里，给施工带来极大挑战。朴鸭脚隧道就是一个缩影。

6 June (Xinhua). Workers are celebrating the breaking through of the Puyajiao Tunnel of Wenchuan-Barkam Expressway.

This expressway is 174 km long with elevation start from 1320m and climb to 3225m. The bridge tunnel ratio is 86.5% with 33 tunnels of total length of 96km.

​

Wenchuan to Ma'erkang Expressway 2016汶马高速公路二零一六年

Chinese bridge
Published on Feb 25, 2017

Wenma expressway，from Wenchuan county to Ma'erkang(Barkam) county, Sichuan province. This is the second expressway build in Tibetan area of Sichuan province. With about 86% bridges and tunnels, elevation from 1320 meters(Wenchuan) to 3225 meters(8.7km long Zhegushan tunnel) to 2500 meters(Ma'erkang),it is also one of the most difficult expressway in the world：
汶马高速公路从2008年发生大地震的四川省汶川县通往阿坝藏族自治州首府马尔康县，全线桥隧比例86%，最高点3225米，最低点1320米，地震频繁，滑坡遍地，泥石流密布，是世界最难的高速公路之一。预计2020年通车，随后还将延伸至阿坝和青海久治县边界和已基本建成的青海花久高速公路相接。（花久高速主要是海拔高，地势远不如四川这边险峻）汶马高速穿越理县毕棚沟、绕过四姑娘山北侧，途经米亚罗百里红叶彩林，长隧道贯穿海拔5000多米雪山鹧鸪山，抵达马尔康卓克基土司官寨，沿路有众多雪山、冰川、彩林、瀑布、怪石、温泉、高山湖泊、原始森林，建成后将成为世界最美的雪山高速公路：

 

[AndrewJin]

Aerial View Dafa Canal in Zunyi, Guizhou
Dafa Canal is an irrigation canal located near Zunyi city, Guizhou province.
In western China there are dozens of irrigation canals looks like this.

80-year-old former CPC secretary of Tuanjie Village took the initiative to build this canal in 1990s.
He devoted his entire life in his village changing hundred of villagers' life and helping cultivate 20 college students.
Today, he visits this canal everyday for inspection.

Photo taken on June 6, 2017 shows the entrance of Puyajiao Tunnel of Wenchuan-Barkam Expressway in Barkam City of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The expressway linking Wenchuan County and Barkam in Sichuan is under construction. (Xinhua/Liu Kun)

川西入藏动脉汶马高速首座高风险长大隧道贯通
发表时间：2017-06-07 08:56来源：新华社 字体：[大][中][小] [打印] [关闭]

新华社成都6月6日电（记者胡旭）川西入藏动脉汶（川）马（尔康）高速首座高风险长大隧道——朴鸭脚隧道6日顺利贯通。

伴着梭磨河湍急的水声，建设者们欢呼雀跃。过去两年，他们在这片川西高原的地震活动带，与豆腐一样的软岩石和喷涌的地下水做斗争，今天终于迎来胜利。

据了解，汶马高速全长约174公里，是深入四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州的一条民生走廊。线路自四川盆地边缘向青藏高原地带挺进，海拔从1320米攀升至3225米，高达86.5%的桥隧比全国罕见。其中仅隧道就有33座96公里，给施工带来极大挑战。朴鸭脚隧道就是一个缩影。

6 June (Xinhua). Workers are celebrating the breaking through of the Puyajiao Tunnel of Wenchuan-Barkam Expressway.

This expressway is 174 km long with elevation start from 1320m and climb to 3225m. The bridge tunnel ratio is 86.5% with 33 tunnels of total length of 96km.

​

Wenchuan to Ma'erkang Expressway 2016汶马高速公路二零一六年

Chinese bridge
Published on Feb 25, 2017

Wenma expressway，from Wenchuan county to Ma'erkang(Barkam) county, Sichuan province. This is the second expressway build in Tibetan area of Sichuan province. With about 86% bridges and tunnels, elevation from 1320 meters(Wenchuan) to 3225 meters(8.7km long Zhegushan tunnel) to 2500 meters(Ma'erkang),it is also one of the most difficult expressway in the world：
汶马高速公路从2008年发生大地震的四川省汶川县通往阿坝藏族自治州首府马尔康县，全线桥隧比例86%，最高点3225米，最低点1320米，地震频繁，滑坡遍地，泥石流密布，是世界最难的高速公路之一。预计2020年通车，随后还将延伸至阿坝和青海久治县边界和已基本建成的青海花久高速公路相接。（花久高速主要是海拔高，地势远不如四川这边险峻）汶马高速穿越理县毕棚沟、绕过四姑娘山北侧，途经米亚罗百里红叶彩林，长隧道贯穿海拔5000多米雪山鹧鸪山，抵达马尔康卓克基土司官寨，沿路有众多雪山、冰川、彩林、瀑布、怪石、温泉、高山湖泊、原始森林，建成后将成为世界最美的雪山高速公路：

I saw construction sites of this expressway when I traveled there in 2015.
Absolutely amazing project, impossible difficulty

 

[JSCh]

Chaobaihe Bridge linking Beijing, Hebei finishes closure
Source:Xinhua| 2017-06-11 21:14:31|Editor: Mengjie



Photo taken on June 11, 2017 shows the Chaobaihe Bridge after closure which links Tongzhou District of Beijing with Yanjiao Town of north China's Hebei. Chaobaihe bridge, 1,118.6 meters in length, started construction in May of 2015, and is expected to be completed in September of 2017. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

 

[TaiShang]

Biggest water transit project ever benefits 100 million in China
(People's Daily Online) 11:20, June 12, 2017

Two years after China opened an $80 billion mega tunnel to transfer water from the country's south to its parched north, it has quenched the thirst of 100 million people - roughly the combined population of Germany plus the Netherlands - mitigating an alarming water crisis and reaping rich economic dividends in 18 of China’s industrial, agricultural-powerhouse cities and capital Beijing.

The 4,350-kilometer network of canals and tunnels— about the distance between the two coasts of America, conquered impossible wastewater challenges to pipe clean water along the route. In the east line alone, 426 costly clean-up schemes were carried out to reduce 85 percent of pollutants from entering the flow: seepage pits and tainted river basins were filtered; man-made wetlands laid; contaminated streams cut off; paper mills, chemical plants and more heavy polluters shut down or revamped; 510 planned projects involving $3 billion in investments bypassed for purposes of pollution control.

On June 9, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Construction Committee shared prominent figures relating to the massive project’s completion.

Since becoming operational in late 2014, the central line has ferried 8 billion cubic meters of water from southern China’s Yangtze River to Beijing, China’s political center with a population of 21.5 million but an average per capita quantity of water at 150 cu m, 1/14 of national average and 1/50 of world average, now its 73 percent of tap water in urban areas comes from the transit; Hebei, a mammoth water consumer as it produces China’s 1/5 raw steel and world’s 1/10; Henan, one of China’s top two grain producers since 2000, with a whopping 2016 output of 59 million tons; Tianjin, the only free-trade zone in northern China and a hi-tech manufacturing cluster.

Shandong, China’s 2nd largest wheat producer and 3rd most water-stressed province, with 1/6 the national average per capita quantity of water, has received 1.99 billion cubic meters of water from the east line, benefiting 40 million people.

Tough environmental measures ensure water quality, as all the diverted water safely qualifies as Grade III - the minimum standard for drinking water, also usable in aquatic breeding areas. Water in the central line meets Grade II standards, with some samples approaching Grade I, the cleanest level and considered safe for nature reserves. In Beijing, the hardness of water has dropped from 380 to 120 milligrams per liter since the imported water began to flow in, Beijing Waterworks Group determined.

The effects on nature have been amazing, too. The water transit has prevented the exploitation of over 800 million cubic meters of underground water in the already-depleted north; in addition, as surface water filters into the ground, underground water levels in over-exploited areas of Beijing, Henan and Shandong have increased. In 2016, for the first time in decades, Beijing's underground water level rebounded by 0.52 meters. In the same year, Shandong diverted 145 million cubic meters from the scheme to recharge its four lakes, effectively shoring up a vulnerable ecosystem.

In response to environmental concerns over the origin of the central leg of the project, Danjiangkou Reservoir, the central government on March 22 issued a $3 billion package for ecological remediation, planning a costly wastewater management system in addition to ecological risk control and water and soil conservation.

With construction started in 2002 and estimated to require between 40 and 50 years to finish, the project is the world’s largest water-transfer project, unprecedented in the volume of water to be transferred, distance to be traveled and the population to be covered — 438 million residents scattered across 15 percent of China’s territory.

The project has three sections: a 1,467-kilometer eastern line, which runs from the lower Yangtze River to Tianjin; the middle line, from Danjiangkou to Beijing; and a western line, which could someday link the headwaters of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers across the high-altitude Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The western line remains largely conceptual at this time.

@Han Patriot , @Shotgunner51 , @AndrewJin , @Jlaw , @Raphael et al.