Twelve major transportation project will be completed this year, 16 started, and another 51 moved forward, the Zhuhai Municipal People's Government announced at a Jan 22 press conference.

Among those opening this year is the main line of the Xianghai Bridge, a key east-west passage parallel to and north of Zhuhai Avenue. The entire project is expected to be finished in the first half of 2022.

The first phase of the Jinqin Express Road north extension line will come into operation by year‘s end, while the second phase will open in 2023. The north line is the main approach to the south section of the Zhongshan East Outer Ring Expressway. It is to open at the same time as the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor.  

Also in northern Xiangzhou District, Xingye Express Road from Tangjiawan to Jida will see the Yingbin Road feeder, west line of the north section, and Renmin Road underpass of the south section open this year.

Honghe Bridge [Photo by Cheng Lin / Zhuhai Daily]

The Gaoxin Interchange, Second Nanping Bridge, Hezhou-Gaolan Port Expressway Phase I, Airport International Intelligent Logistics Park, and the Tangjia Port Passenger-Cargo, Xiangzhou Port Ferry, and Sanjiao Island terminals will be completed this year. Moreover, 14 to 20 pedestrian overpasses will be erected across the city and 35 more in 2022, said Lin Yuehai, director of the Zhuhai Transport Bureau.

Construction will begin on local sections of the Zhuhai-Zhaoqing and Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) high-speed railways, while work on the Airport Urban Rail Transit Phase II will move ahead. Preliminary work will advance on the Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity MRT.

Work will commence in 2021 on the Gaolan Port Expressway north extension line, Xianghai Bridge west extension line, passages from the Jiangjun Mt Tunnel to Hengqin Tunnel and Xianghai Bridge, Xingye Express Road south extension line, North Lovers Avenue (Qi'ao Bridge to Zhuhai-Zhongshan border), Airport North Express Road (Huangyang-Zhufeng avenues), Jin'gang Bridge, and the link road between First and Third Pingbei roads.

Also beginning this year are reconstruction of Provincial Road S272's north section, construction of Gaolan Port Container Terminal Phase III and Anchorage Ground 5 Phase I, and expansion of Ganghong Terminal.  

This year, the Honghe Bridge will remain toll-free, with government paying the 300-million-yuan ($46-million) charge, said Chen Shaoxing, deputy director of the Zhuhai Transport Bureau.

Chen disclosed that the new round of revisions to the overall plan of Zhuhai (Jinwan) Airport will be submitted for approval, and the plan for the second taxiway has also been finalized. Construction of the comprehensive transport hub will be completed by 2023 as part of the airport expansion.

Moreover, the city will optimize the metro route layout, while initiating ferry routes from Jiuzhou Port to Taipa of Macao and from Tangjia Port to Shenzhen. Zhuhai residents will be able to take a high-speed railway at 350 kmph (217 mph) by the end of the 14th Five-year Plan (2021-25).