THE northern extension of Phase I of Danping Expressway opened to traffic Wednesday afternoon, a source from the construction center of the Shenzhen transport bureau said.

The extension line, which runs 1.64 kilometers, starts at Bainikeng Flyover of Jihe Expressway and ends at Egongling Flyover.

The line includes a 1-kilometer elevated bridge that spans Jihe Expressway and the Pinghu-Yantian railway. It is the longest steel-framed bridge in the city.

With six two-way lanes, the section is designed for vehicles running 80 kilometers per hour. The road under the elevated bridge was built with four two-way lanes.

The expressway and road under it are expected to relieve south-north traffic pressure between Longgang and Luohu in the city’s eastern area by diverting vehicles on Jihe Expressway and Dongshen Road.

(Han Ximin)