The south extension project of Jinan-Leling Expressway will be officially integrated into the national expressway network on September 1, 2020, and the entire line will be opened to traffic.

The south extension project of Jinan-Leling Expressway is an important part of Shandong Province's "Nine Vertical, Five Horizontal, One Ring, Seven Shots and Multiple Connections" highway network planning. The project uses the Shiji Railway Yellow River highway and railway bridge to cross the Yellow River, sets Cuizhainan Interchange to connect with National Highway 220, sets Huashan North Interchange to connect with Hehua Road, and establishes hub interchanges with Qingyin Expressway and Jiguang Expressway.

The project has improved the regional expressway network, realizing the convenient and efficient connection of Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, Donglu Expressway and Jiguang Expressway; improved the integrated high-speed road network of Jinan City. After the project is connected to Jiguang Expressway, it can be connected to the second ring expressway to the west. The road system can be connected to the East Ring Expressway to the east to improve the overall traffic efficiency of the road network. A new convenient passage across the Yellow River will be added as the first road-rail bridge in Jinan, which greatly relieves the pressure on crossing the river. After the project is opened to traffic, the itinerary on both sides of the Yellow River will be significantly shortened, and rapid access between the northern part of Jinan and the urban area can be achieved, supporting and ensuring the future development of the pioneer area. (For reprinting, please indicate to see www.seetao.com) See Tao.com engineering column editor/Zhang Jingya