The Hezhou-Gaolan Port Expressway section between the Jiangmen-Zhuhai Expressway and East Airport Road was connected end-to-end over 8.7 km (5.4 miles) Oct 9 and will open to traffic next month.

Asphalt has been placed from Hezhou South Interchange at South Hezhou Reclamation Area in Jinwan District to Zhuhai Avenue and will progress farther to the Jiangmen-Zhuhai Expressway in Segment I, while the road surface of Segment II is prepared.

Paving of Hezhou South Interchange has been completed [Photo by Chen Xinnian / Guanhai App]

Investment, manpower, and equipment have been increased to ensure the opening is on schedule despite a two-month delay in the first quarter of this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Zhu Runtian, general manager of Hezhou-Gaolan Port Expressway.

Also known as the west extension line of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the 35-km (22-mile) expressway is being constructed in two phases. Its first phase runs 18 km (11 miles) from the Jiangmen-Zhuhai Expressway in Baijiao Town of Doumen District to the Airport Expressway in Jinwan's Dalin Town. Interchanges are being built at Hezhou North and South, Baiteng, Hongqi, and Zhuhai (Jinwan) Airport.

The 16-km (10-mile) second phase will run from Dalin Town to the Gaolan Port Expressway and connect to the Huangmao Sea Channel Bridge, which is under construction between southwest Zhuhai and southeast Jiangmen. It will have interchanges at Nanshui and Gaolan as well as a service area.

Designed with a speed limit of 100 kmph (62 mph), the dual six-lane expressway will cut to 30 minutes travel time between Xiangzhou District and the Gaolan Port Economic Zone. Jiangmen and western Guangdong will also be reachable within an hour.