THE Qianhai section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen Riverside Expressway will be renovated into an undersea interchange to connect with the extension of Phase II of Nanping Expressway.

According to the notice issued by the Shenzhen Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau on Monday, the project includes the renovation of the riverside expressway and Phase II of Nanping Expressway, the construction of an underwater interchange and tunnel and the relocation of the Qianhai Tollgate northward. The underwater interchange and tunnel will connect Guangzhou-Shenzhen Riverside Expressway with Phase II of Nanping Expressway upon completion.

The project will be helpful to improving the road network efficiency of the city’s western area, road traffic environment and urban landscape in Qianhai CBD.

The 6.4-kilometer renovation section starts from Dachan Bay Interchange and goes underground at Xin’an North Road. The underground tunnel runs 2.28 kilometers, passing Linhai Boulevard, and then goes above Tinghai Boulevard before it is connected with the existing Guangzhou-Shenzhen Riverside Expressway.

The extension of Phase II of Nanping Expressway and the undersea interchange include ramps A and B, linking to Dachan Bay, and two other ramps, C and D, which link up with the riverside expressway.

The A and B ramps are designed for 40 kilometers per hour while C and D ramps are designed for 60 kilometers per hour.

According to an earlier plan released by authorities, the interchange, said to be the first of its kind in China, will be a double layered single tunnel. The A and B ramps start from the ground-level road of Mawan Cross-Sea Passage and end at the intersection of Guiwan No. 1 Road and Linhai Boulevard. It is 3.7 kilometers in length including a 2.46-kilometer tunnel section. The C and D ramps start from the intersection of Hailan Road and the riverside expressway and end at G107 to connect with Nanping Expressway Phase II in the east. Its total length is 5.9 kilometers including a tunnel section of 3.29 kilometers.

The present Qianhai Tollgate will be relocated from the present location near Qianhai Bay to Xiwan Wetland Park, which is 7.1 kilometers to the north. It will be 3.78 kilometers south of the Jichang Interchange of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Passage and 2.63 kilometers north of Dachan Bay Interchange.

The 89-kilometer Guangzhou-Shenzhen Riverside Expressway was put into operation in December 2013. The 44.5-kilometer Nanping Expressway is a highway linking Nanshan District and Pingshan District.

(Han Ximin)