New Expressway Connects Lhasa to the Cradle of Tibetan Civilization

Lhasa, Dec 18 (NationPress) A newly inaugurated expressway connects Lhasa, the capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, with the city of Shannan, which is recognized as the birthplace of the Tibetan civilization. This expressway officially opened to traffic on Wednesday, as reported by local traffic authorities.

The new Xizang S5 Expressway spans a distance of 47.46 kilometers from Lhasa to Tsethang, situated in the heart of Shannan. It reduces the travel distance between these two cities by 65 kilometers, allowing for a journey time of just one hour, according to the Lhasa municipal transportation bureau.

This project involved an estimated investment of 9.43 billion yuan (approximately 1.3 billion US dollars) and features a two-way, four-lane design with a speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour.

Notably, bridges and tunnels constitute 65 percent of the entire route, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The expressway is anticipated to enhance travel for residents along the route and is expected to boost the local tourism, agriculture, and animal husbandry sectors, thereby fostering high-quality economic growth in the region, according to the bureau.

By the first half of 2024, the total length of highways in Xizang will have reached 123,300 kilometers, which includes 1,196 kilometers of expressways. Additionally, the total length of rural roads in the region is 93,000 kilometers.

Earlier this year, a high-grade highway connecting the regional capital Lhasa with Xigaze, the region's second-largest city, was opened to the public. This 245-kilometer four-lane highway has halved the travel time between Lhasa and Xigaze from approximately six hours to three hours.

This highway is part of the national highway network that links the city of Ya'an in southwest China's Sichuan Province and Yecheng County in the Kashgar Prefecture of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

According to an official from the regional transport department, "The high-grade highway will serve as a vital link connecting Lhasa and western Xizang. It will also play a significant role in optimizing the regional road network structure, enhancing the national comprehensive transport channel, and facilitating greater connectivity for the region with South Asia."

This high-grade highway signifies another milestone in the transport development of Xizang, following the operation of the 251-kilometer railway link between Lhasa and Xigaze in 2014.

Xigaze is renowned for producing about 50 percent of Xizang's highland barley, earning it the title of the "granary of Xizang."