Hefei Section of Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway Achieves Key Railway Overpass Construction Breakthrough

The Hefei section of the Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway has secured a major construction milestone, with the final precast box girder precisely installed in the early hours of May 22. The full completion of box girder erection across the Nanjing-Xi’an Railway lays a solid foundation for subsequent deck construction and the overall opening of the expressway route.

The cross-railway segment stretches 2.806 kilometres, comprising four bridges and requiring 406 precast box girders in total. The overpass section spanning the operational Nanjing-Xi’an Railway stands as a core challenging project of the entire route. The construction involved 12 box girders and seven level-II railway traffic block windows, with each window offering merely 120 minutes of effective working time. The project faced stringent constraints including high operational safety risks along active railway lines, extremely limited construction windows, tightly linked working procedures and rigorous precision requirements for girder installation.

To ensure safe and efficient construction progress, project authorities collaborated closely with construction teams to conduct multiple special coordination meetings. Comprehensive risk assessment for cross-line operations was carried out, while girder erection plans and emergency response protocols were fully optimised. All large-scale equipment, including girder erection machines and beam transport vehicles, underwent thorough inspection and debugging to guarantee stable operational performance on site.

During the intensive construction period, the project team adopted refined management mechanisms. Dedicated station liaisons and on-site safety guards were deployed to implement strict one-person-one-machine protection protocols. Technical staff maintained full-time on-site supervision to ensure accurate girder positioning, while safety inspectors conducted continuous patrols to eliminate potential hazards throughout the whole construction process, ensuring high-quality and risk-free completion of all erection works.

As the western loop of the G9912 Hefei Metropolitan Ring Expressway, the Huainan-Tongcheng Expressway Hefei section serves as a vital component of Anhui’s modern highway network. Upon full completion and opening, the route will optimise regional traffic layouts and significantly enhance connectivity within the Hefei metropolitan area. It will also support Hefei’s integrated development into the Yangtze River Delta and drive high-quality growth across the urban cluster.

The upgraded transportation network will greatly facilitate daily travel for residents along the route and deliver sustained impetus for regional economic expansion, industrial upgrading and rural revitalisation. Improved highway accessibility will shorten logistics time for agricultural products from Huainan, Shouxian and Shucheng to Hefei and broader Yangtze River Delta markets. Lower cold-chain transportation costs will accelerate the outbound shipment of local specialties including sweet potatoes, grain crops, red kiwifruit and premium tea to Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions.

Ongoing construction advancement of the expressway will further strengthen Anhui’s regional traffic advantages. Continuous network optimisation will support smoother industrial and commercial circulation, bringing tangible development benefits to urban and rural areas across the region.