Zhang Qian

    zhqcindy@163.com

    FOUR expressways — the Longda Expressway (Shenzhen section), the Nanguang Expressway, the Yanpai Expressway and the Yanba Expressway — will stop charging tolls beginning midnight Feb. 7, the beginning of the Spring Festival holiday.

    The municipal transportation commission signed deals with related expressway corporations yesterday afternoon.

    It is the second time the city repurchased expressways since it bought out the contract for the company operating the Meiguan Expressway (Meilin to Guanlan section) last year.

    Longda Expressway, a provincial expressway, connects Longhua New Area of Shenzhen with Dongguan, a city adjacent to Shenzhen. The Shenzhen section of the 28-kilometer expressway will stop charging at five tollgates, namely Langtian, Shilongzi, Guangming, Loucun and Songgang.

    Another provincial expressway, linking Nanshan District with Guangming New Area in Shenzhen, will also stop charging at its seven tollgates.

    The expressway operator had a contract to charge tolls until January 2033.

    The other two expressways are important expressways in eastern Shenzhen and start from Yantian District, with the Yanpai Expressway connecting with Longgang District.

    It’s hoped the ending of tolls will speed up traffic in eastern Shenzhen.

    Five new tollgates will be built along the four expressways and are expected to be put into use by 2017, according to the commission.

    “The old tollgates will be dismantled before the new tollgates are constructed and we will dispatch traffic police to manage traffic during the transitional period,” said Li Yongming, director of the development office from the commission.

    The Meilin Expressway, connecting the Meilin area of Futian District with Guanlan in Longhua New Area, stopped charging tolls last year. There will be nine expressways that still have tolls in Shenzhen.