Recently, significant progress has been made in the construction of the Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway (Hefei Section), with its key control project—the Zipeng Mountain No. 2 Tunnel—successfully broken through. This milestone marks the full completion of all tunnel works for the project.

The Zipeng Mountain No. 2 Tunnel spans 430 meters and serves as a critical control project for the Hefei section of the Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway. It traverses the Zipeng Mountain scenic area, presenting complex geological conditions that entail considerable construction challenges and high technical demands. 

An Qingming, Chief Engineer of Anhui Construction Engineering Road Port Construction Group Co., Ltd.'s Section 3 for the S19 Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway Project, introduced that the Hefei Section of the S19 Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway forms a vital part of Hefei City's "Grand Outer Ring Road" western loop. This contract section involves approximately 14 kilometers of subgrade works. To date, 80% of both subgrade and bridge construction has been completed, while all tunnelling works have been finished. The project team is accelerating efforts to ensure completion and opening to traffic next year.  

The Hefei Section of the Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway constitutes a key segment of the G9912 Hefei Metropolitan Area Ring Road's western loop. Starting from the northwest side of Xinqiao Airport and ending at Fengle Town in Feixi County, this 58.69-kilometer route features a designed speed of 120 km/h with dual six-lane carriageways. Upon completion, serving as the western corridor of Hefei's "Grand Outer Ring Road," it will dramatically reduce travel times toward southwestern Hefei, significantly enhance transportation efficiency, and alleviate regional traffic congestion. Furthermore, it will efficiently connect Zipeng Mountain and surrounding tourist attractions, unlock cultural and tourism potential, invigorate rural revitalization initiatives, and empower regional economic development. 

The G9912 Hefei Metropolitan Area Ring Road ("Grand Outer Ring Road") is an important component of the National Highway Network Plan, consisting of the Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern Ring sections, with a total length of approximately 282.6 kilometers. 

In the future, with the full completion of the "Grand Outer Ring Road," Hefei will further strengthen its connectivity with neighboring cities such as Nanjing, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Hangzhou, and Nanchang, achieving seamless transportation and resource sharing. At the same time, it will establish a one-hour commuting circle with cities like Shucheng, Tongcheng, Lu'an, Huainan, and Chuzhou.  

According to Hefei's proposed "1155" major transportation construction plan, by the end of 2025, the city will have built or be constructing 1,000 kilometers of railways, 1,000 kilometers of expressways, 500 kilometers of urban rail transit, and 500 kilometers of urban expressways. This will essentially complete the formation of a "ring + radial + grid" urban transportation network. 

An official from the Hefei Transportation Bureau stated that the city is currently focusing on advancing the construction of expressways, including the "Grand Outer Ring Road," to accelerate the development of a "double-ring, eighteen-radial, multi-connected" expressway network. This will shape a multi-corridor layout for Hefei's integration with the Yangtze River Delta and surrounding urban clusters, ensuring that all towns within the city can access expressways within 15 minutes. By enhancing the development capacity of Hefei as a national comprehensive transportation hub, the initiative will empower the high-quality growth of the Hefei metropolitan area.

Source: Anhui Daily