G9211 Yongzhou Expressway
Encyclopedia
The Ningbo−Zhoushan Expressway , commonly referred to as the Yongzhou Expressway is an expressway
in Zhejiang
, China
which links Ningbo
to Zhoushan
. In the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS) in China, the number of this highway is G9211.
The expressway derives its name from the combination of two one-character Chinese abbreviations of both Ningbo and Zhoushan (Ningbo−Yong, Zhoushan−Zhou). Starting from the Qianyang hub on the G1501 Ningbo Ring Expressway and ending on the National Highway G329 at Yadanshan Dock, the road can be divided into two parts. The first section which was opened to traffic at the end of 2010, starts from the Qianyang hub and ends at the Jiaochuan hub, which is shared with the G1501 Ningbo Ring Expressway. The second section starts from the Jiaochuan hub and ends at the Yadanshan Dock. It contains 5 cross-sea bridges, and was opened to traffic on December 25, 2009.
. The second phase was endorsed by NDRC
in China and began construction on May 20. On December 25, 2009, both phases was open to traffic. The section from Qianyang to Baoguosi have a length of 7 kilometers, began construction in 2005 and finished in December 26, 2007. The section from Baoguosi to Jiaochuanhave a length of 13 kilometers, began construction on February 27, 2008 and will be finished in the end of 2010.
, Lidiao Island, Fuchi Island, Cezi Island, Jintang Island
and the mainland. Among all the bridges, Jintang Bridge
is the third longest cross-sea bridge in China, after Hangzhou Bay Bridge
and Donghai Bridge
. It is also the longest cable-stayed bridge
built on the sea. Xihoumen Bridge
is the second longest suspension bridge
in the world, after the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan.
, where there is a high volume of sea traffic. Three collisions occurred during the construction of the expressway. On March 28, 2008, a cargo ship registered in Taizhou
collided with Jintang Bridge. Part of the bridge was destroyed and four people were killed by falling masonry. On January 6, 2009, a construction ship registered in Lianyungang
collided with the Taoyaomen Bridge, however, there was no significant damage. On November 16, a ship from Korea
collided with the Jintang Bridge. Though the damage was only minor, the accident delayed the opening of the expressway to traffic from November 22 until December 25.
. The administrators state that this fee is used for compensating the construction expenditure of roads in Zhoushan
, especially the expressway. As of June, 2010, Zhoushan
residents are free from this toll, but vehicles from other regions still need to pay the fee.
to Lidiao toll gate is 60 km/h while the speed limitation from Lidiao to Cezi toll gate is 80 km/h, which also raises dispute because of the high toll. It is said that the expressway is now under maintenance for higher speed.
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
in Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
which links Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
to Zhoushan
Zhoushan
Zhoushan or Zhoushan Archipelago New Area; formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. The only prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay,...
. In the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS) in China, the number of this highway is G9211.
The expressway derives its name from the combination of two one-character Chinese abbreviations of both Ningbo and Zhoushan (Ningbo−Yong, Zhoushan−Zhou). Starting from the Qianyang hub on the G1501 Ningbo Ring Expressway and ending on the National Highway G329 at Yadanshan Dock, the road can be divided into two parts. The first section which was opened to traffic at the end of 2010, starts from the Qianyang hub and ends at the Jiaochuan hub, which is shared with the G1501 Ningbo Ring Expressway. The second section starts from the Jiaochuan hub and ends at the Yadanshan Dock. It contains 5 cross-sea bridges, and was opened to traffic on December 25, 2009.
Construction History
The section from Jiaochuan to Yadanshan was called The Project Connecting Zhoushan Islands and Mainland, which have a length of 48 kolometers, the largest project that connects islands with mainland in China. The first phase of the project began construction in September, 1999 and open to traffic on January 1, 2006. It comprises three bridges: Cengang Bridge, Xiangjiaomen Bridge and Taoyaomen BridgeTaoyaomen Bridge
The Taoyaomen Bridge , is a cable-stayed bridge located in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province of the PRC, that crosses the Taoyaomen Channel , linking Fuchi Island and Cezi Island...
. The second phase was endorsed by NDRC
National Development and Reform Commission
The National Development and Reform Commission , formerly State Planning Commission and State Development Planning Commission, is a macroeconomic management agency under the Chinese State Council, which has broad administrative and planning control over the Chinese economy...
in China and began construction on May 20. On December 25, 2009, both phases was open to traffic. The section from Qianyang to Baoguosi have a length of 7 kilometers, began construction in 2005 and finished in December 26, 2007. The section from Baoguosi to Jiaochuanhave a length of 13 kilometers, began construction on February 27, 2008 and will be finished in the end of 2010.
Cross-sea bridges
Yongzhou Expressway comprises 5 cross-sea bridges connecting Zhoushan IslandZhoushan Island
Zhoushan Island is the principal island of the namesake archipelago Zhoushan Islands, governed by Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, the People's Republic of China. Its name means "Boat Mountain", because its shape. It is the province's largest island, and third largest in mainland China...
, Lidiao Island, Fuchi Island, Cezi Island, Jintang Island
Jintang Island
Jintang Island is an island in the Zhoushan prefecture-level city in China's northeastern Zhejiang province. It has a population of about 41700....
and the mainland. Among all the bridges, Jintang Bridge
Jintang Bridge
Jintang Bridge is a highway bridge with a cable-stayed bridge portion, built in Zhejiang, China on the Zhoushan Archipelago, the largest offshore island group in China. It is the longest bridge in Zhoushan Trans-oceanic Bridges with a length of 26,540 meters, connecting Jintang Island and Zhenhai,...
is the third longest cross-sea bridge in China, after Hangzhou Bay Bridge
Hangzhou Bay Bridge
Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a long highway bridge with a cable-stayed portion across Hangzhou Bay in the eastern coastal region of China. It connects the municipalities of Jiaxing and Ningbo in Zhejiang province. At in length, Hangzhou Bay Bridge is one of the longest trans-oceanic bridges in the world...
and Donghai Bridge
Donghai Bridge
Donghai Bridge is one of longest cross-sea bridge in the world. It was completed on December 10, 2005. It has a total length of and connects mainland Shanghai and the offshore Yangshan deep-water port in China. Most of the bridge is a low-level viaduct. There are also cable-stayed sections to...
. It is also the longest cable-stayed bridge
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
built on the sea. Xihoumen Bridge
Xihoumen Bridge
The Xihoumen Bridge The 5.3-kilometre-long suspension bridge connection has a 2.6-kilometre-long main bridge with a central span of 1,650 metres. The approaches total 2.7 kilometres. When it opened, there was only one bridge with a larger span, the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan...
is the second longest suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
in the world, after the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan.
Cengang bridge
Cengang bridge is the first bridge in the project. Acrossing Cengang Aqueduct, the bridge connects Zhoushan Island with Lidiao Island. The length of the bridge is 793 meters and the bridge have 4 lanes of expressway.Xiangjiaomen Bridge
Xiangjiaomen Bridge is the second bridge in the project. Acrossing Xiangjiaomen Aqueduct, the bridge connects Lidiao Island with Fuchi Island. With a length of 951 meters and four lanes of expressway, the bridge have a span of 150 meters. Ships of up to 500 tons of displacement can go across the bridge safely.Taoyaomen Bridge
Taoyaomen Bridge is the third bridge in the project. Ships of up to 2000 tons of displacement can go across the bridge safely.Xihoumen Bridge
Xihoumen Bridge is the fourth bridge in the project. The construction work began on May, 2004. The bridge is designed as a suspension bridge and it have the second longest span in the world. Ships of up to 30000 tons of displacement can go across the bridge safely.Jintang Bridge
Jintang Bridge is the fifth in order and also the longest in length of all the bridges in the project. The length of the bridge is 18.5 kilometers. It is the third longest cross-sea bridge built in China. The major ship passage was held by two bridge towers with 620 meters' height and ships of up to 50000 tons of displacement can go across the bridge safely.Accidents
Bridges in Yongzhou Expressway are built on straights near Port of NingboPort of Ningbo
Port of Ningbo is one of the most important and busiest ports in mainland China. It is located on the rich coastal province of Zhejiang. The port is at the crossroad of the north-south shipping route and the important waterway of the Yangtze River...
, where there is a high volume of sea traffic. Three collisions occurred during the construction of the expressway. On March 28, 2008, a cargo ship registered in Taizhou
Taizhou
Taizhou may refer to two prefecture-level cities of the People's Republic of China:*Taizhou, Jiangsu *Taizhou, Zhejiang...
collided with Jintang Bridge. Part of the bridge was destroyed and four people were killed by falling masonry. On January 6, 2009, a construction ship registered in Lianyungang
Lianyungang
Lianyungang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and Suqian to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of Shandong to its north...
collided with the Taoyaomen Bridge, however, there was no significant damage. On November 16, a ship from Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
collided with the Jintang Bridge. Though the damage was only minor, the accident delayed the opening of the expressway to traffic from November 22 until December 25.
Island entrance fee
After the expressway was opened to traffic, every vehicle traveling on the expressway from Jiaochuan to Zhoushan was required to pay RMB 10 as the Zhoushan Island Vehicle Fee (also called island entrance fee by local residents). It raised disputes in ZhoushanZhoushan
Zhoushan or Zhoushan Archipelago New Area; formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. The only prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay,...
. The administrators state that this fee is used for compensating the construction expenditure of roads in Zhoushan
Zhoushan
Zhoushan or Zhoushan Archipelago New Area; formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. The only prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay,...
, especially the expressway. As of June, 2010, Zhoushan
Zhoushan
Zhoushan or Zhoushan Archipelago New Area; formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. The only prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay,...
residents are free from this toll, but vehicles from other regions still need to pay the fee.
Speed limitations
Given the road condition, the speed limitation from ZhoushanZhoushan
Zhoushan or Zhoushan Archipelago New Area; formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. The only prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay,...
to Lidiao toll gate is 60 km/h while the speed limitation from Lidiao to Cezi toll gate is 80 km/h, which also raises dispute because of the high toll. It is said that the expressway is now under maintenance for higher speed.