An urban express road will be built across Nanping Town to connect the Jiangjun Mt Tunnel and Xianghai Bridge over the Qianshan River, according to a recent notice on the Zhuhai Natural Resources Bureau website.

The 3.4-km (2.1-mile) dual six-lane overpass forms part of the third paved connection to Hengqin Island. The project extends from Hengqin to the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone, through Jiangjun Mt to Zhuhai Avenue, and terminates at the Xianghai Bridge.

Designed with a speed of 60 kmph (37 mph), the north-south arterial road will go from the reserved ramp at Zaobei Interchange of the Xianghai Expressway in Qianshan, connect to the Xianghai Bridge, and merge into Zhuhai Avenue in Nanping for join-up with the Jiangjun Mt Tunnel.

Rendering of north-south express road over Zhuhai Avenue [Photo provided by Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Investment & Zhuhai Da Heng Qin City New Center Development to Guanhai App]

In addition, interchanges at Zhuhai Avenue and the Xianghai Bridge and two pairs of exit-entry ramps at Jinji Road in Qianshan will be built to access other functional zones.

The express road design has been approved and the project proposal will be reviewed soon, according to Li Chao, deputy manager of the Planning & Design Department of Zhuhai Da Heng Qin City New Center Development.

The connection will facilitate freight transport of distribution centers such as Hongwan Center and Nanping Sci-Tech Industrial Park, which has been restricted by the mountain and river, and will improve the transport network between Hengqin New Area, Xiangzhou, and the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone.

Other sections of the third Hengqin-bound passage include the under-design Hengqin Tunnel-Jiangjun Mt Tunnel section, Big Hengqin Mt and Jiangjun Mt tunnels now under construction, and the Zhongxin Avenue and Hengqin Tunnel, both currently in service.