CHENGDU, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- An expressway connecting mountainous hinterlands in southwest China's Sichuan Province opened to traffic Thursday, set to boost regional connectivity and rural revitalization.
The 152-kilometer route, linking the Mabian Yi Autonomous County in Leshan City with Zhaojue County in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, cuts the drive time between the two counties from five hours to one and a half hours, and the drive time between Zhaojue and Chengdu, the provincial capital, from nine hours to four hours.
Despite challenges and risks such as mud bursts and water inrush, the project, with an estimated total investment of over 33.5 billion yuan (about 4.77 billion U.S. dollars), delivered roads reaching an elevation of 2,090 meters at the highest point. It boasts a bridge-tunnel ratio of 82 percent, according to its contractor, Shudao Investment Group.
Green construction, smart operation, and inclusive development are among the expressway's notable characteristics.
The Daliang Mountains and Xiaoliang Mountains region, through which the expressway runs, are ecologically sensitive, with vast stretches of uninhabited areas, ecological forest zones and nature reserves.
During its design phase, the project sought to avoid construction in areas identified as ecological red lines and in areas with dense, rare plant distribution in an effort to preserve the ecosystem, according to Zhou Lizhong, a staffer in charge of the project with Shudao Investment Group.
"For plants in unavoidable construction areas, we conducted on-site conservation, transplantation or cultivation to minimize vegetation impact," he added.
For instance, about 2,900 dove trees were transplanted and propagated under a conservation project, delaying construction of most parts of a 40-km road section by over a year. The project cost over 60 million yuan.
As winter sets in, snow may cover roads and hinder traffic in high-altitude, mountainous areas, reaching depths of up to 20 cm. To reduce driving risks, an intelligent loop heat pipe system functions as an "underfloor heater," melting snow.
According to Wang Yuanhong, an engineer with Shudao Investment Group, heat pipes have been embedded beneath main carriageways. When sensors detect low temperatures or snowfall, the system automatically activates air-source heat pumps to maintain the temperature of the wheel track zones on the road at 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.
"Compared to traditional methods of shoveling and spraying deicing agents, the automatic system enables a transformation from 'passive removal' to 'proactive prevention,'" said Wang. He added that AI models integrating satellite, meteorological, and road-surface data are also used for forecasting and for precise dynamic temperature control.
The route exemplifies China's expansion of its highway networks into previously underserved regions, as well as the country's advancement in construction technologies for complex, mountainous areas.
By the end of 2024, the total length of expressways in China had topped 191,000 kilometers, covering 99 percent of cities with populations of over 200,000. Some 8,000 kilometers of expressways are expected to have been added to the network of the world's transport powerhouse by the end of 2025, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The new road, more than a green, modern expressway, is also a pathway for rural vitalization, set to benefit over 1 million people from various ethnic groups living in mountainous hinterlands. Local produce specialties such as olive oil, navel oranges and tea benefit from a safer, more efficient road network.
"Underdeveloped transportation infrastructure used to be the biggest hurdle for our orange sales," said Wu Junmei, a navel orange grower in Leibo County, along the expressway. She said that winding, bumpy mountain roads were difficult to traverse in rain and snow, resulting in relatively long travel times to Chengdu or to more distant markets.
"With the new expressway, large trucks can come and go easily, the orange spoilage rate during transportation drops sharply, and more merchants are likely to come to buy the fruit," she said. ■
