The construction of the expressway from Dongshan No.4 Road, a part of the city’s great outer ring, to the downtown will be accelerated gain. On March 12th, it is learned from the Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development that the municipal project of Xiling No.2 Road (from Yanjiang Avenue to Dongshan No.4 Road) would be launched this year. Taking the main expressway to full play, we can enjoy a short ride from the outskirt to the downtown.

Goal: establishing a fast transportation channel and connecting the districts separated by the Yangtze River

The Xiling No.2 Road Expressway Project is planned on the base of the current road condition. The artery will enjoy a speed of 60 km/h and the branches of 40 km/h. The project, together with the construction of Miaozui Yangtze River Bridge, is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. Besides, the total length of the viaducts and the underground tunnels will hit 4 km, and the artery will be a two-way six-lane motor traffic. It is said that the budget is about 2 billion yuan. According to the report, the project is free from red lights and public interruptions, which will save a lot of time. But, as the expressway goes through the old house clusters, it is very hard to carry out the construction and plan the traffic navigation.

The expressway will start from Miaozui Yangtze River Bridge at the west, running over Yanjiang Avenue via a viaduct, down to Dongshan Avenue, and cross a railway from beneath. Then, at Tiyuchang road, it will go through an underground tunnel in the sharp slope, and again up to a viaduct above the intersection of Daxue Road. After detouring several new buildings, the expressway will make its way through China Three Gorges University, cross Three Gorges Expressway, go on to a viaduct of 90 degrees to the south over Fazhang Avenue and finally reach Dongshan No.4 Road.

As an important part of the Yichang Expressway, lying on the both sides of the artery, the branches of Xiling No. 2 Road Expressway start from Yanjiang Avenue and finally run into Mingzhu Road.

　3 viaducts and 6 entrances and exits along the expressway.

　　Zheng Beihai, Deputy Director of the Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said there would be three viaducts, including the Viaduct (1290m) over Zhenzhu Road, Yiling Avenue and Dongshan Avenue, Daxue Road Viaduct (810m), and Three Gorges University Viaduct (180m). In addition, all the viaducts will have a width of 18 m, vase-shaped piers and head wall abutments.

How to make it easy and fast for the vehicles on the expressway to transfer to other roads at the key nodes? As is designed, this Expressway Project will have six pairs of entrances and exits: a pair of bridge ramp entrance and exit between Yiling Avenue and Dongshan Avenue, about one kilometer away from Yanjiang overpass ; a pair near Dongshan Avenue intersection(right in and left out), designed for the easy access to underground passage; a pair at the end of the underground passage (right out and left in), facilitating the way to Daxue Road; a pair near Dongshan No.2 Road (right in and left out) , set to transfer vehicles to Dongshan No.2 Road; a pair on the viaduct connecting Dongshan No.4 Road, establishing the connection with Zhenzhu Road and Fazhan Avenue; a pair on Dongshan No.4 Road near Fazhan Avenue (right in and left out), leading to Zhenzhu Road and Fazhan Avenue

　 The connection of Dongshan No.4 Road and Xiling No.2 Road will save much travel time

Both Xiling No.2 Road and Dongshan No.4 Road are part of the fast traffic network of "Two Horizontal and Two Longitudinal". Dongshan No.4 Road, following Yanjiang Avenue, Dongshan Avenue, Yiling Avenue, and Chengdong Avenue, becomes the fifth longitudinal main road. Strictly speaking, it is also the first expressway in Yichang. In 2012, the completion of Mingzhu Road Section shortened more than half of the traveling time from Yiling District to the downtown, which highlighted the importance of its role in connecting the four districts.

Currently, if people in Yiling District want to go to the downtown via Dongshan No.4 road by car, they must trek down Fazhan Avenue and encounter several time-wasting stops at the red light. Fortunately, this situation will be totally changed when Xiling No.2 Road BRT Project is completed. According to the report, the expressway will run 7.6 km from Xiling No.2 Road to Dongshan No.4 Road. After the successful connection of the two expressways, one will take only 10min from Dongshan NO.4 Road of the northern city outer ring to CBD business circle at its top speed, 60 km/h. (Reporter: Zhao Wei; Correspondent: Chen Feng)