Recently, there has been significant good news regarding the Fangxian section of the Fangwu Expressway project, which has officially received approval from the Hubei Provincial Development and Reform Commission. This key progress marks the successful conclusion of the early decision-making stage of the project, and it is about to enter a new stage of substantial construction, injecting strong impetus into the transportation upgrade and tourism boom in western Hubei.

The Fangwu Expressway is an important national highway in the National Highway Network Plan, and it is also a key passage for the world tourism corridor of the Three Rivers and Three Mountains of Hubei and Hunan (Yangtze River, Qingjiang River, Hanjiang River, Wudang Mountain, Shennongjia, Wuling Mountain). This expressway is fully rooted in Hubei Province, with a planned starting point in Fang County, Shiyan City and an endpoint in Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County, Yichang City. It connects major control points such as Fangxian, Shennongjia, Xingshan, and Wufeng, with a total construction distance of 251 kilometers. What is particularly noteworthy is that its bridge to tunnel ratio is as high as 87.88%, making it the transportation project with the highest bridge to tunnel ratio in Hubei Province. The construction difficulty and technical requirements can be imagined, but after completion, it will also become a monument in the history of Hubei's transportation construction.

The Fangxian section of the Fangwu Expressway, which has been approved this time, has a clear route plan. It seamlessly connects with the Shifang Expressway to the north and ends at Duchuan Village at the junction of Fang County and Shennongjia in Shiyan City to the south. Specifically, the project starts from Lianhua Village, Chengguan Town, Fangxian County, Shiyan City, and connects to the G59 Hubei Expressway from Shiyan to Fangxian. It then heads south, passing through Jundian Town, Hongta Town, and Savage Valley Town, and finally enters the territory of Shennongjia. It is closely connected to the proposed G5912 Fangxian to Wufeng Expressway Shennongjia section, with a total length of about 31.6 kilometers.

In terms of construction standards, the main line of the Fangxian section project adopts the standard of a two-way four lane expressway. The design speed is 80 kilometers per hour and the roadbed width is 25.5 meters. This design can not only meet the future traffic flow demand, but also ensure the safety and comfort of driving. The estimated total investment for the project is as high as 6.385 billion yuan, which fully reflects the government's attention and expectations for this highway.

The construction of the Fangxian section of the Fangwu Expressway has profound significance. It will not only further improve the expressway network in Hubei Province, enhance the convenience and accessibility of regional transportation, but also bring unprecedented opportunities for the development of tourism resources in western Hubei. With the completion and opening of this highway, famous tourist attractions such as Wudang Mountain and Shennongjia will be more closely connected, forming a golden tourism route that attracts more tourists to come for sightseeing, drives the economic development of the areas along the route, and helps implement the rural revitalization strategy. Editor/Cheng Liting