With the accelerated construction of the main framework of the national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network, the strategic intersection area of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Western Land Sea New Corridor is ushering in a new wave of transportation infrastructure construction. Under the guidance of the national 14th Five Year Plan for the development of modern comprehensive transportation system, the preliminary project of G6025 Dongkou to Tianzhu Xiangqian Border Expressway has officially started construction recently.

The commencement of this project marks a new stage of transportation interconnection between Hunan and Guizhou provinces. This transportation artery with a total investment of 28.45 billion yuan and a total length of nearly 130 kilometers not only carries the important mission of improving the national highway network, but also will become a key link to promote the coordinated development of the Wuling Mountain area and deepen the opening and cooperation of the central and western regions.

As an important component of the G60 Shanghai Kunming Expressway Hunan section expansion project, the construction of Dongtian Expressway is timely. Currently, with the acceleration of regional economic integration, the original Shanghai Kunming Expressway is no longer able to meet the growing demand for east-west transportation, especially at the important nodes connecting the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration and the southwestern region, where the bottleneck effect of transportation is becoming increasingly prominent. The construction of Dongtian Expressway is a strategic measure to overcome this development constraint and optimize the regional transportation pattern.

Overcoming difficulties in engineering and driving innovation driven construction

The bridge to tunnel ratio of the entire project is nearly 50%, with the Caijiachong Bridge having a maximum pier height of about 59 meters and the Liaoshui No.2 Bridge spanning the Liaoshui River Valley, fully demonstrating the technical challenges of highway construction in mountainous areas. To ensure the quality and progress of the project, the project team will adopt advanced technologies such as prefabricated T-beams and suspended casting with hanging baskets, and develop special construction plans for complex geological conditions. According to the plan, the entire line will have 8 interchanges, 2 service areas, and 1 parking area, while simultaneously constructing two interchange connecting lines, Matang and Qinglang, to achieve efficient connection between the expressway network and the local road network.

Reshaping Economic Geography and Empowering Regional Development

The construction significance of Dongtian Expressway goes far beyond the transportation level. After the completion of the project, more than 30% of the transit traffic on the Shanghai Kunming Expressway will be effectively diverted, greatly improving the connectivity efficiency between the southwestern Hunan region and the Changsha Zhuzhou Xiangtan urban agglomeration and the Yangtze River Delta economic zone. More importantly, this new channel will break through the transportation bottleneck in the Wuling Mountain area and inject new momentum into the economic development of counties along the line such as Suining and Huitong. It is expected that after the opening of the road, the travel time from Dongkou to Tianzhu will be shortened by about 1 hour, and the economic ties between Hunan and Guizhou provinces will become even closer.

Against the backdrop of the deepening implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, this expressway will become an important channel for the export of characteristic agricultural products and the development of tourism resources along the route. During the project construction period, it will drive tens of thousands of job opportunities. After completion, it will further optimize the regional industrial layout, promote urban-rural integration development, and provide solid transportation support for consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively connecting with rural revitalization. Keywords: traffic news, construction news

With the landing of the first pile foundation, the construction of Dongtian Expressway has begun. This expressway that runs through the southern mountainous area of Xiangxi not only carries the historical mission of improving the national road network, but also embodies the expectations of the people along the way for a better life.Editor/Cheng Liting