Qianjiang Channel

　　The Qianjiang Channel's "full name" is the S9 Su-Shao Expressway. With a total length of 43.6 kilometers, it is divided into three sections: the north connecting road, the river-crossing tunnel, and the south connecting road. The section currently open for trial operation is 33.4 kilometers long, starting at the Yanguan West Interchange of the Hangzhou-Pudong Expressway and ending at the Qixian Interchange of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway. It is a dual-direction, six-lane expressway with a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour (the tunnel section has a design speed of 80 kilometers per hour).

　　On April 16, the Qianjiang Channel and Connecting Roads project officially opened for trial operation, finally moving from "coming soon" to "open to traffic."

　　This is the result of more than 1,500 days and nights of effort by 12,000 builders. The project overcame the world-class challenge of building a super-large expressway river-crossing tunnel beneath the Qiantang River, and finally established a major transportation axis running across the Hangzhou Dajiangdong New City.

　　In fact, many drivers know that there is currently a great deal of traffic on the Hangzhou Ring Expressway, and congestion is common. The opening of the Qianjiang Channel will divert traffic from the east line of the Ring Expressway, allowing the expressway to "run" more smoothly.

　　Beyond this, its greater significance lies in effectively alleviating traffic pressure on the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway, especially on the congestion-prone Second Qiantang River Bridge and Xiasha Bridge, and greatly shortening the travel time and distance between Jiaxing, Hangzhou, and Shaoxing.

　　Once this section is completed, the Qianjiang Channel will connect seamlessly with the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway; the river-crossing tunnel section is 4.45 kilometers long and is the world's largest-diameter shield tunnel; the south connecting section is 27.8 kilometers long and uses an entirely elevated design, passing through the Hangzhou Jiangdong area.

　　The south connecting section of the Qianjiang Channel and Connecting Roads project has four interchange toll stations. Those opened during operation are the Liugongduan and Dangwan toll stations, while the other two are still under construction.

　　It should also be noted that the Qianjiang Channel project is an important part of the main framework of the expressway network in Zhejiang Province and Hangzhou City, and is also a key project in Hangzhou's "eastern network densification" program. It effectively alleviates traffic pressure in eastern Hangzhou and, especially after the closure of the airport expressway for construction, provides another rapid freight diversion route.

　　According to the current road network, traveling from Shaoxing to Jiaxing requires either the Jiaxing-Shaoxing Bridge or the east line of the Hangzhou Ring Expressway.

　　However, after the opening of the Qianjiang Channel, estimates show that the average distance from Xiaoshan District to the Jiaxing area can be shortened by 25 kilometers, reducing travel time by about 15 minutes; the average distance from the Shaoxing area to the Jiaxing area can be shortened by 19 kilometers, reducing travel time by about 11 minutes. It is also quite convenient to cross the river from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport to Shanghai.

　　The Qianjiang Channel and Connecting Roads project has also set one world record and two Zhejiang provincial records.

　　Largest: The Qianjiang Tunnel is one of the world's largest-diameter shield tunnels;

　　Longest: The project is the province's longest elevated expressway on land, with the ground-level elevated section totaling 27.2 kilometers;

　　Most environmentally friendly: It preserves the world-famous Qiantang tidal bore landscape;

　　Most land-efficient: The 33.4-kilometer dual-level road uses 6,751 mu of land, making it the province's most land-efficient expressway.

　　For a passenger car traveling the entire Qianjiang Channel and its north and south connecting roads, the toll is 45 yuan. All toll stations are equipped with electronic toll collection (ETC) lanes, enabling non-stop toll collection for river crossings and expressway entry and exit.

　　Due to the impact of the airport expressway reconstruction project, which began trial closure on April 15, time-based truck restrictions are being implemented on the section from the Qiaosi Interchange to the Hongken Interchange of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway. Large trucks heading to Haining and Xiaoshan are advised to consider detouring via the Qianjiang Channel.