On October 30, 2026, two provincial-level key transportation projects, the Suzhou Shanghai border to Taicang North hub section of the Shanghai Yichang Expressway and the Suzhou Port Taicang Port South Shugang Expressway, officially started construction, with a total investment of 7.849 billion yuan.

Two high-speed highways are synchronously starting construction

The Huyi Expressway project has a total length of 19.52 kilometers, starting from the Suzhou Shanghai border and connecting to the Shanghai S16 Huochuan Expressway, and running westward along G346 in an elevated form, with the endpoint connecting to the Taicang North Hub. The newly constructed section of 13.516 kilometers adopts a two-way six lane standard, with a design speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The 6.004 kilometer expansion section has been upgraded from a two-way four lane to a two-way eight lane, with a design speed increased from 100 kilometers per hour to 120 kilometers per hour. There are 11 mainline bridges along the entire line, accounting for 61.4% of the total bridges.

The Nanshugang Expressway project has a total length of 4.13 kilometers and is constructed using a two-way four lane standard. The design speed is 100 kilometers per hour, and the endpoint is directly connected to the main toll station of the Huyi Expressway. There is one interchange along the entire line, and there are a total of 6 main and ramp bridges, accounting for 60.5% of the total bridges. Both projects are constructed by Suzhou Huyi Expressway Co., Ltd. and managed by a subsidiary of Suzhou Communications Investment Group.

Upgrading the transportation capacity of the Suzhou Shanghai inter provincial channel

The project is located in the soft soil area of the Jiangnan water network, passing through multiple ecologically sensitive areas along the route. It is adjacent to provincial wetland parks and national fishing port protection areas. During the construction phase, a differentiated foundation treatment plan will be adopted, strict noise and dust control measures will be implemented, and pipeline relocation and in-situ protection work will be completed simultaneously. The main bridge of Liuhe Extra Large Bridge adopts a 128 meter large-span simply supported steel truss structure, spanning the V-class Liuhe waterway. The construction process takes into account both navigation safety and water ecological protection requirements.

After the completion of the two highways, a new inter provincial expressway between Jiangsu and Shanghai will be added, completely connecting the Taicang Port area with a dedicated collection and distribution route directly connected to the highway network. In 2026, the annual container throughput of Taicang Port has exceeded 8 million TEUs. After the new channel is put into use, the efficiency of port cargo transfer will be improved by more than 40%. The commuting and logistics conditions between Jiangsu and Shanghai have been greatly optimized, injecting new support momentum into the upgrading of the integrated regional road network in the Yangtze River Delta.Editor/Cheng Liting