The Hezuo–Sairilong section of the G1816 Wuhai–Maqin Expressway is a key construction project under Gannan Prefecture's "expressways to every county" initiative, and is also the expressway project with the longest construction mileage and the largest investment scale ever undertaken within the prefecture. The Luqu Tunnel, an advance control project of this endeavor, is being constructed by CCCC First Highway Engineering Group Co., Ltd. Construction is currently progressing smoothly, with cumulative excavation approaching half of the tunnel's total length, and breakthrough is expected in August next year.

According to reports, the Luqu Tunnel is located in Ma'ai Town, Luqu County, with a total length of 8,920 meters. It is an extra-long highway tunnel and a control project for the entire line. Excavation has currently reached 3,700 meters, accounting for 41.5% of the tunnel's total length. Full breakthrough is expected in August 2025, laying a solid foundation for the construction of the entire Hezuo–Sairilong Expressway.

The Luqu Tunnel has an average elevation of 3,500 meters and is adjacent to the Tao River National Water Source Protection Area, entailing stringent environmental protection requirements. To build a green, high-quality project, the project actively carries out research and application of technologies such as low-environmental-impact design, highway water environment protection, and restoration of degraded alpine grassland, effectively promoting the coordinated development of highway construction and ecological protection. 

The Hezuo–Sairilong Expressway starts at the South Interchange of Hezuo City on the expressway, connecting with the completed Linxia–Hezuo section of the Wuma Expressway, and passes through Xiahe Airport, Amuquhu Town in Xiahe County, and Luqu County before ending at Sairilong, where it connects to the Sairilong–Henan section of the Wuma Expressway in Qinghai Province. The project is being built under a PPP investment model, with a total investment of 16.959 billion yuan, a main line length of 105.54 kilometers, and a bridge-tunnel ratio of 31.7%. The planned construction period is four years. The Hezuo–Sairilong Expressway is an important component of Gannan Prefecture's "One Ring, Six Links" comprehensive transportation network. It is of great significance for optimizing the layout of national, provincial, and prefectural expressway networks, enhancing connectivity in the border region of Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan, opening up Gansu's major southbound transportation artery, achieving a major breakthrough in Gannan's transportation, and accelerating economic development and ethnic unity and progress.