New Year's Day is approaching, and good news arrives first. The reporter learned from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Transport that on December 28, six expressway projects—Yunzhan Phase I, Jiehui Phase I, Renxin Phase I, Guangzhou-Zhongshan-Jiangmen Phase II, Ningguan, and Longlian—will open to traffic simultaneously. Together with the Xinghua Expressway, which opened in September, Guangdong built 7 new expressways totaling 655 km in 2017, bringing the total expressway mileage to 8,338 km, ranking first in the country for the fourth consecutive year.
　　Two More Interprovincial Corridors Added
　　Smoother Traffic Between Guangdong, Fujian and Hunan
　　Among these seven expressway projects, the completion and opening of Renxin Phase I and the Chaozhou North Section of the Ningguan Expressway will add one interprovincial corridor each from Guangdong to Hunan and Fujian. At this point, Guangdong Province has at least four expressway corridors to each of its neighboring provinces (regions) connected by land.
　　Renxin Phase I starts at the provincial border station in Chengkou Town, Renhua County, Shaoguan, connects with the Hunan Yanru Expressway, and reaches the Danxia Interchange of Renxin Expressway, where it connects with the Shaogan Expressway (G6011). Travelers from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other places to and from Hunan can take the Jingzhu Expressway or Guangle Expressway to the Shaogan Expressway, then transfer directly at the Danxia Interchange to Renxin Expressway Phase I northbound into the Hunan Yanru Expressway to reach Chenzhou, Zhuzhou, Changsha, Wuhan and other places, avoiding traffic jams on the Leguang and Jingzhubei expressways.
　　The Chaozhou North Section of the Ningguan Expressway starts in Dongshan Town, Raoping County (the Fujian-Guangdong border), opening up the "dead-end road" between Chaozhou and Zhangzhou. Via the Ningguan Expressway, travelers heading east can quickly reach Zhangzhou urban area through the Fuzhao Expressway, transfer to the Xiarong Expressway and Ningdong Expressway to reach Longyan and Xiamen urban areas, and go north to Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, effectively relieving pressure on the Shenhai Expressway in the south. Westward, travelers can use the three main routes—Chaohui Expressway, Helong Expressway and Shenshan Expressway—to go deep into Guangzhou and Shenzhen urban areas, effectively dispersing traffic pressure.
　　Starting from Guangzhou to Fujian, driving via the Guanghe Expressway, Jiebo Expressway, Chaohui Expressway and Ningguan Expressway takes only about 5 hours to reach the Zhangzhou area, saving at least 1 hour compared with existing travel options.
　　Pearl River Delta to Western Guangdong
　　Yunzhan Phase I Saves 2 Hours
　　Previously, the only expressway from the Pearl River Delta to western Guangdong was the Guangzhan section of the Shenhai Expressway, including the Guangfo, Fokai, Kaiyang, Yangmao and Maozhan sections. Traffic volumes along these sections have already reached or are approaching saturation, and travel conditions during holidays are not optimistic.
　　With the completion and opening of Yunzhan Phase I, which functions as a duplicate line of the Shenhai Expressway, a major new corridor from the Pearl River Delta to western Guangdong will be added. During the 2018 New Year's Day and Spring Festival travel rush, travelers between the Pearl River Delta and western Guangdong can choose the Guangming Expressway, Jiangluo Expressway and Luoyang Expressway to connect with Yunzhan Expressway Phase I, or get on the Shenhai Expressway at the Yangxi Interchange of the Luoyang Expressway.
　　According to estimates, the detour distance is similar to the original Guangzhan route of the Shenhai Expressway, but by avoiding traffic jams, holiday travel to and from western Guangdong is expected to save 1.5–2 hours.
　　From Guangzhou South Station via Guangzhou-Zhongshan-Jiangmen Phase II
　　Travel to Jiangmen Can Be Cut to 1 Hour
　　Guangzhou-Zhongshan-Jiangmen Phase II starts in Yayao Town, Heshan, Jiangmen, connects with the Fokai Expressway, and ends at the Hetang Interchange of Guangzhou-Zhongshan-Jiangmen Expressway Phase I. After opening, it will effectively shorten travel time between western Guangdong and Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and other areas, and strengthen the economic radiation of the Pearl River Delta to cities in western Guangdong. It is understood that traveling from Guangzhou South Station to Jiangmen urban area via Guangzhou-Zhongshan-Jiangmen Phase II will be shortened from 1.5 hours to 1 hour.
　　By connecting the Chaodong, Shanzhan, Shenhai and other east-west expressways as well as important transportation nodes such as Chaoshan Airport and the Huilai Port Area of Jieyang Port, Jiehui Phase I will further expand the radiation range of the east-west transportation artery, and in particular provide new travel options for residents of revolutionary old areas such as Hongchang Town and Leiling Town.
　　The Longlian Expressway starts in the east of Longchuan County, Heyuan City, and ends in Longxian Town, Wengyuan County, Shaoguan City. It not only opens a direct expressway between Longchuan and Lianping counties, but also horizontally connects the Yuegan Expressway, Daguang Expressway and Meihe Expressway, playing a positive role in improving transportation conditions in northern Heyuan. After opening, the drive from Heyuan onto the expressway to Lianping county seat will take only 50 minutes, nearly 40 minutes shorter than before.