At an altitude of 3500 meters, this dialogue between human engineering and natural mountains and rivers will eventually reach a new balance - not conquest, but coexistence; Not intruding, but integrating. When the traffic flows between snow capped mountains and meadows all year round, this "heavenly road" itself is the longest love letter written by this era to the future of the plateau: it not only preserves the original breath of heaven and earth, but also opens the door to the distant world.

The new reconstruction project of the Jiaka Bangda Airport section of National Highway 214, which officially started on December 1, 2025, is quietly reshaping the transportation map of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. This 70.79-kilometer-long project will be connected to the completed section from Chamdo to Gakka, jointly building a 97.8-kilometer-long airport high-grade highway corridor.

Technology and ecological balance

Opening the engineering design plan, a series of impressive numbers are revealed: 38 bridges and 21 tunnels, with a bridge tunnel ratio of up to 68%. The most eye-catching among them is undoubtedly the seven kilometer spiral tunnel group - this is another major challenge for China's tunnel construction technology under complex geological conditions at high altitudes.

To carry out such a large-scale engineering construction in fragile ecological areas with an average altitude of over 3500 meters, we must be as precise as a surgical operation, "said Shao Tong, the person in charge of the construction of the second section of CCCC First Highway Engineering Co., Ltd., pointing to the three-dimensional design diagram. Faced with multiple challenges such as plateau permafrost, ecological sensitivity, and complex geology, the construction team adopted advanced geological forecasting system, intelligent construction platform, and full cycle ecological monitoring system. During the construction process, every slope protection and vegetation restoration is carefully designed to ensure that the project construction and ecological protection are carried out simultaneously.

A road, rewriting the temporal and spatial coordinates of a city

The significance of this project with a total investment of 8.483 billion yuan goes far beyond transportation itself. As a major transportation artery connecting the northern 317 National Highway Economic Belt and the southern 318 National Highway Economic Belt in Chamdo, it will become the backbone of economic and social development in eastern Tibet. According to the prediction of Xizang's transportation department, after the completion of the project, the tourism revenue along the line is expected to increase by more than 30%, and the logistics cost will be reduced by 25%. In the past, to go to Bangda Airport, one had to cross two mountains and endure more than two hours of bumps. "Luosong Xiangba, the deputy secretary of the village party branch, stood next to the construction site that was about to start construction, his eyes filled with anticipation." After the new road is opened, this journey will be shortened to one hour. "This is not only a time saving measure, but also an extension of the living radius and development opportunities. Keywords: engineering construction, engineering construction news

When the last section is completed in three years, this road hovering between the mountains in eastern Tibet will not only be a geographical connection, but also a link of time, connecting the ancient pulse of the snowy land with the vigorous heartbeat of modern development. Each tunnel passes through not only mountains, but also the bottleneck of plateau development; Every bridge spans not only a river valley, but also a valley of people's expectations.Editor/Cheng Liting