Yu Zuping, who lives in Xiling District, drove unimpeded to the Dongshan Park of Yichang High-tech Zone despite the rain on the morning of June 26. The instructor of Yichang High-tech Zone Traffic Police Li Zhichao said that the smooth flow of traffic and pedestrian in Dongshan Park was the fruit of the 9.3 million yuan investment from the government, which was used for the rebuilding of Dongshan Roundabout (the junction of Fazhan Avenue and Chengdong Avenue) and the section of Chengdong Avenue between Gangyao Road and Shengli 3rd Road.

　　Chengdong Avenue runs from the intersection of Beiyuan Bridge in Dongshan Park to the East Railway Station in Wujiagang District. Before the rebuilding, most part of Chengdong Avenue was two-way six-lane with a speed limit of 60 kilometers per hour and standard parking areas on each side; while the section between Gangyao Road and Shengli 3rd Road had only four traffic lanes and the distance between the two intersections in the two ends is much shorter. Furthermore, the two bus stations in this section were actually not bus bays. The motor road would be occupied by bus when it stopped to set down and pick up passengers, blocking the traffic current.

　　Traffic police found that this section, together with Dongshan Roundabout served as the outer loop in the city. Passing through the Yiling Yangtze River Bridge, vehicles from Chengdu, Chongqing and Enshi flocked into Chengdong Avenue from Dianjun District; vehicles from Wuhan, Jingzhou, Shennongjia, Yiling District, Xiling District and the Three Gorges Dam area also flocked into Chengdong Avenue through Fazhan Avenue, Yunji Tunnel, leading to traffic jams in this section.

　　According to Li Zhichao, the traffic flows smoothly at these two sections when there are 3000 vehicles per hour, while traffic jams appear when there are 5000 vehicles per hour; the traffic is at a standstill when the traffic volume reaches 7000 vehicles per hour.

　　The traffic issue has received the attention of representatives from NPC, NPPCC and the traffic police department has put forward solutions several times.

　　At the end of last year, Yichang Municipal Party Committee and Yichang Municipal People\'s Government decided to rebuild Dongshan Roundabout and the section of Chengdong Avenue between Gangyao Road and Shengli 3rd Road, in which 3.7 million yuan and 5.6 million yuan would be invested respectively. Dongshan Roundabout was demolished and the street was tarred and channelized with traffic markings, signs and lights on it. In addition, the two-way four-lane road was upgraded to two-way eight-lane road (some parts are seven-lane).

　　Traffic jams disappear after the upgraded section of Chengdong Avenue and Dongshan Roundabout are put into service. Zhou Bowen, squadron leader of High-tech Zone Traffic Police Brigade, said that the traffic condition has been improved in these two sections, which would benefit the construction of BRT.