On the vast northeastern edge of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, between the mountains and grasslands at the border of Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan provinces, two highways carrying development expectations - the "G0611 Zhangye to Wenchuan Expressway" and the "S45 Luqu to Jiuzhi Expressway" - are about to move from blueprint to reality. Recently, the winning candidates for the construction drawing survey and design of these two major transportation projects with an estimated total investment of 11.4 billion yuan have been officially announced. Three top design units (consortia) have stood out, marking decisive progress in the preliminary work of the projects and laying a solid foundation for comprehensive construction in 2024.

A billion dollar project depicts a new path on the plateau

The two projects that have entered the substantive stage of survey and design this time are both important components of China's national highway network, with complex geological conditions, significant ecological significance, and outstanding technical challenges.

Among them, the G0611 Zhangye Wenchuan National Expressway from Sailong (Ganqing border) to Langmu Temple (Ganchuan border) has a total length of about 57.123 kilometers and will be constructed according to the standard of a two-way four lane expressway, with a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour and a roadbed width of 26 meters. This highway will become a new expressway connecting the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan.

The other is the Garxiu Maqu section of S45 Luqu Jiuzhi Expressway, with a total length of about 41.849 km, of which 36.749 km is reconstructed and expanded by using the original second-class highway. The project has a design speed of 80 kilometers per hour, a roadbed width of 23.5 meters, and a design speed of 60 kilometers per hour for some difficult sections. The way of renovation and expansion reflects the intensive utilization of existing resources, while also taking into account the economic and feasibility of the project.

Design the arena and determine the blueprint maker

The construction drawing survey and design work of the project is divided into three sections for public bidding. After fierce competition, the winning bidder candidates (first place) and bidding prices for each section have been officially announced:

SGTKC-1 section: First place - Gansu Provincial Transportation Planning Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., with a bidding price of 19.584082 million yuan.

KC-2 section: First place - a consortium formed by Sujiaoke Group Co., Ltd. and Gansu Zhongjian Municipal Engineering Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., with a bidding price of 3.6 million yuan.

SGTKC-3 section: First place - China Highway Engineering Consulting Group Co., Ltd., bidding price of 20.901434 million yuan.

These design agencies that are well-known in the industry have won the bid, which means that the project has a strong technical think tank. Next, they will conduct precise surveys of the route, overcome technical difficulties, and draw detailed blueprints to guide construction. The bidding documents have detailed provisions for the starting and ending pile numbers, route length, technical standards, main quantities, and design service period of each section, ensuring rigorous and standardized design work.

Connecting the network to promote regional development together

The construction of two highways is far more than just an extension of physical channels. They have strategic significance for improving the layout of China's national highway network and strengthening transportation connections in underdeveloped areas at the border of Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan provinces. The project directly passes through ethnic minority settlements, and after completion, it will significantly improve the transportation conditions along the route, shorten the time and space distance, promote personnel exchanges, smooth logistics, information exchange, and economic and trade cooperation. It will have a profound and positive impact on consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation, promoting rural revitalization, promoting ethnic unity, and promoting coordinated development of regional economy and society. Keywords: traffic news, latest information on infrastructure projects, high-altitude transportation

With the establishment of the survey and design unit, this "highland golden line" that carries the expectations of many parties has taken a crucial step forward. In the near future, the roar of machinery will awaken the sleeping valleys, and new highways will fly like rainbows between mountains and rivers, injecting the surging vitality of modern development into this ancient and vibrant land.Editor/Yang Meiling