Today, as the national transportation network accelerates interconnectivity and regional coordinated development deepens, the construction of major transportation infrastructure has become a strategic pivot for regional revitalization. The complete connection of the Chongqing Hunan double track expressway between the mountains and valleys of Sichuan and Chongqing, greatly reducing the distance to the sea, and the completion of the ten lane expansion of the Beijing Harbin expressway, all confirm the logic of the era of transportation first. In Liaoning, this pioneering approach is reflected in unprecedented construction determination and investment intensity.

As the decisive year of the three-year action plan for comprehensive revitalization and new breakthroughs, Liaoning's transportation construction is advancing at full speed with a sprint posture. Throughout the year, 11 highway projects were implemented, and the total investment scale and mileage reached a historic high. In this grand historical scene, on December 18, 2025, the Qinshen Phase II Control Project of the Jianchang to Songlingmen section of the Qinshen Expressway officially broke ground. This is not only an extension of the 79 kilometer road, but also a key step in the blueprint for a strong transportation province in Liaoning, to open up a new corridor for Northeast China and reshape the development pattern of western Liaoning.

Qin Shen Phase II Construction of New Entry Arteries

The construction of the Qinshen Phase II Expressway marks the substantive stage of a new channel connecting the inland areas of western Liaoning and radiating to the Beijing Tianjin Hebei region. The project starts from Jianchang County, Huludao City and ends in Chaoyang County, Chaoyang City, with a total length of 79.042 kilometers and a total investment of 8.47 billion yuan. Its core mission is to connect with the Qinshen Phase I project, which has already started construction in March 2025, to jointly form a new Northeast China gateway parallel to the Beijing Harbin Expressway. This is not only a key supplement to the existing service capacity and security redundancy of the Beijing Harbin Corridor, but also a proactive move by Liaoning to integrate into the new development pattern and closely connect with the coordinated development strategy of the Beijing Tianjin Hebei region.

From the perspective of engineering layout, the bridge tunnel ratio of this project is 18.6%, with 6 interchanges directly connecting many counties such as Jianchang, Chaoyang, and Linghai. This means that it will fundamentally improve the transportation conditions in the inland areas of western Liaoning, break down geographical barriers, and directly integrate counties and districts that used to be transportation hubs into the main cycle of the regional highway network, laying fast lanes for the high-quality development of the county economy. The franchising model adopted in the project also reflects the innovative exploration of introducing market forces and improving the efficiency of full lifecycle management in major infrastructure construction.

New breakthroughs in empowering regional development through transportation first

The promotion of the Qin Shen Phase II project is a vivid reflection of the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee and Government's adherence to the transportation first strategy. Provincial Party Secretary Hao Peng has repeatedly emphasized the need to scientifically plan and implement major transportation projects from the perspective of serving national strategies and fulfilling the five major safety missions, and accelerate the construction of a strong transportation province. At present, Liaoning is at a critical juncture of the end of the 14th Five Year Plan and the 15th Five Year Plan. Investment in the transportation sector has continuously exceeded the 50 billion and 60 billion mark, and is expected to exceed 70 billion yuan this year, achieving a significant leap in comprehensive strength. As a key project during the 15th Five Year Plan period, the construction of Qinshen Phase II is a powerful proof of Liaoning's transformation of grand plans into concrete actions.

The economic significance of this road far exceeds its geographical length. Firstly, it will effectively promote the construction of a demonstration zone for industrial transfer in northwest Liaoning, provide an efficient and convenient logistics channel for the northward movement of industries in the Beijing Tianjin Hebei region, and build a western gateway for Liaoning's opening up and cooperation with the outside world. Secondly, the construction and operation of the project itself, along with four highways including the Beijing Harbin reconstruction and expansion that will be opened in advance by 2025, have jointly promoted the construction mileage of highways in the province to reach 633 kilometers and the total mileage to exceed 4856 kilometers, achieving the goal of high-quality county to county highways. This has laid a solid hardware foundation for optimizing the business environment and reducing the overall logistics costs in the province (according to the "Liaoning Province Transportation and Logistics Cost Reduction and Quality Improvement Action Plan", the goal is to reduce the total social logistics cost to GDP ratio to 13.5% by 2027). Ultimately, a dual core, two axis, and four channel three-dimensional transportation network consisting of the Qin Shen Expressway, Shen Bai High speed Railway, and modern port clusters will provide irreplaceable and strong support for the comprehensive revitalization of Liaoning and even Northeast China. Keywords: engineering construction, engineering construction news

The construction of Qinshen Phase II Expressway is a significant achievement that Liaoning has submitted in the year of victory. It, together with a series of decisive actions such as port upgrading, airport expansion, and smart transportation that are being synchronously promoted throughout the province, has played a passionate melody in the construction of a strong transportation province in Liaoning. When this new artery is completed and opened to traffic in the next four years, it will not only transport traffic from south to north, but also provide hope for the rise of western Liaoning, opportunities for regional coordination, and a powerful driving force for the comprehensive revitalization of Liaoning.Editor/Cheng Liting