Zhuhai has outlined its intentions to develop into a national transport hub with the publication yesterday of a draft copy of its Comprehensive Transport System Development Plan (2021-2035), multiple local media outlets report.
The plan proposes that Zhuhai develop a regional transportation network consisting of two ports, four railway lines, four bridges, as well as eight horizontal and eleven vertical transport corridors.
Under the plan, Zhuhai Central Station (Hezhou) will become the main railway station in the city, with Hengqin Station, Zhuhai North Station, Jinwan transportation hub and Zhuhai Station taking on auxiliary roles. The development of Zhuhai’s various ports in Tangjia, Doumen and Xiangzhou is also on the table. The plan proposes building a passenger and cargo terminal at the Tangjia port.
As the city seeks to expand its transport system, various projects have already been launched including the Zhuhai-Zhaoqing high speed railway line, which runs a total length of 184.5 kilometres, with a budget of 53.6 billion yuan.
[See more: Major railroad projects are underway in Zhuhai and Guangzhou]
“The design phase [of the entire project] will take a total of 48 months, from May 31 2023 to May 31 2027,” said an engineer of the project Wu Shenliang. “The construction work of the Hezhou station grand bridge and multiple unit trains have commenced.” He added that the key parts of the new railway line would be finished before the end of 2026.
Another major project is a 6.27-kilometre-long western extension to the Xianghai Bridge, which is expected to boost the traffic capacity of Zhuhai’s eastern and western sections.
According to the assistant general manager of the project, Kong Xianquan, the construction of the extension is being separated into two parts, with the completion date set for June 2025.
Zhuhai is not the only Greater Bay Area (GBA) city seeking to expand its transport system, as Guangzhou also has equally ambitious plans, one of which involves extending its metro network into neighbouring cities such as Shenzhen and Zhongshan.
