Sichuan’s Key Expressway Projects Advance Rapidly for Year-End Opening

Three major expressway projects in Sichuan Province are pressing ahead with critical works, targeting opening within 2025. The accelerated construction will further optimise the provincial highway network and bolster coordinated regional economic growth.

Guangmian Expansion: Smart Construction Supports Year-End Completion

As a vital section of the G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway and a key transport project under Sichuan’s 14th Five-Year Plan, the Guangyuan–Mianyang expansion is deploying large-scale unmanned paving and rolling technologies. Supported by BeiDou high-precision positioning and intelligent algorithms, the system enables millimetre-level control over paving thickness, rolling paths and compaction cycles, reducing reliance on manual expertise and enhancing pavement quality consistency.

To date, the project has invested 27.69 billion yuan, representing 95% of the total budget. All tunnels are through, substructure and subgrade works are nearly complete, and 65% of pavement works have been finished. Ancillary works including buildings, electromechanical systems and greening are progressing in parallel. Upon opening, travel time between Guangyuan and Mianyang will be cut from two hours to around 70 minutes, strengthening northbound connectivity out of Sichuan.

Zhengguang Expressway (Tongguang Section): Main Bridge Closure Connects Old Revolutionary Base

The main span of the Ba River Bridge, a key structure on the Tongjiang–Guang’an section, has been successfully closed. Located in Pingchang County, the 644.5-metre bridge is the longest continuous rigid-frame bridge on the route.

Construction teams opted for night-time work with stable temperatures and low wind, adopting water tank counterweights and frame locking techniques to overcome challenges such as high piers and deformation risks during long-segment casting. Excavation, embankment and bridge works on the section exceed 95% completion, and all tunnels are through. The project remains on track for opening by year-end, completing a vital transport artery in northeastern Sichuan.

Yipan Expressway (Xinjin Section): Twin-Tube Breakthrough at Complex Geological Tunnel

The Zhulinwan Tunnel, known as a “geological museum”, achieved twin-tube breakthrough on 26 May. The 5,741-metre tunnel, with a maximum depth of over 1,200 metres, crosses two fault zones in Liangshan Prefecture, encountering rock bursts, gas, water inrush and soft rock deformation.

Over five years, the team refined support parameters around 300 times and mitigated nearly 40 major geological incidents through advanced forecasting and dynamic design adjustments. The breakthrough opens a full longitudinal corridor within Jinyang County, allowing unobstructed working faces for subsequent pavement, electromechanical and safety installations. The completed route will enhance the Panxi regional road network and support rural revitalisation along the alignment.

Following these milestones, all three projects will continue final works to meet their opening targets, reinforcing Sichuan’s role as a transport hub in western China.