PHASE I of the Nanshan- Pingshan Expressway opened to traffic Friday (June 30), promising to relieve traffic jams at the Meilin Checkpoint and in central Shenzhen.

Top city officials,including Party chief Li Hongzhong and Mayor Xu Zongheng,presided over the inauguration ceremony.

The 19.05-km Phase I section starts from Tanglang Mountain Tunnel and ends at Longjing Flyover. The entire journey takes about 20 minutes. The whole project, 44.5 kilometers long, will stretch from Qianhai in Nanshan to Pingshan in Longgang. It will draw part of the vehicle flow from the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, North Ring Road and Meilin Checkpoint.

The north-south traffic in central Shenzhen relies heavily on North Ring Road, Huanggang Road and Meilin Checkpoint, causing perennial traffic jams. The new expressway, dubbed the second ring road for Shenzhen after the North Ring Road, will also provide a new choice for vehicles traveling between Nanshan and Futian/Luohu districts.

The new Nanping Checkpoint also opened Friday. Vehicles and passengers heading for the special economic zone need to pass the checkpoint.

Editor: Wing