Car journeys between Guangzhou and Shenzhen will be reduced from almost two hours to just 20 minutes once the latest stretch of the Nansha-Zhongshan Expressway opens to traffic, multiple media outlets report. That date could be as soon as mid-November, according to Guangdong officials.
The 10.83 kilometre Wanqingsha Branch Line will connect Guangzhou to the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link – a recently opened bridge-and-tunnel system that crosses the Pearl River Delta.
The new line will also enable commuters to travel from Guangzhou’s Nansha District to Zhongshan in just 15 minutes.
[See more: Traffic chaos traps Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link users in a day-long gridlock]
In anticipation of the Nansha-Zhongshan Expressway’s opening, Nansha authorities were upgrading the area’s central road network, including Wanhuan West Road, Shinan Road and Fenghuang Avenue.
Meanwhile, the 24-kilometre Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link has reduced the travel time between its two namesake cities from the two hours to 20 minutes – though its first day open was mired in chaos and gridlock.
Drivers have reportedly been taking full advantage of the new link, however. According to Guangdong authorities, more than 2 million vehicles crossed the mega infrastructure project between 30 June and 20 July.
