Widespread transport network links airport

New roads, express rail connects Beijing to its neighbors and the rest of the world

With Beijing's new world-class airport, Beijing Daxing International Airport, set to open by the end of September, a vast array of infrastructure is being completed to serve and support the travel hub.

The Daxing Airport Highway, Tuanhe Road and a complex web of underground pipes and tunnels used for broadband, electricity, information and more, have been connected and integrated with Daxing Airport Express Rail and Beijing-Xiongan High-speed Railway.

The immense construction project, which got underway in 2016 and cost 17.1 billion yuan ($2.48 billion), represented engineering challenges on a scale unseen before.

Apart from Tuanhe Road, the three other transport routes to the airport are elevated and needed to be constructed at the same time in order to minimize impact on existing infrastructure.

At one point, three transport routes run as flyovers side by side reaching as high as 30 meters above ground, the first time such a feat has been achieved in China, according to Zhang Yanduo, assistant to the general manager of Beijing Infrastructure Investment Transportation Co, in charge of the project.

"With the roads and rail up in the air we have saved land usage by more than 40 hectares," he said.

Another engineering feat required that the Daxing Airport Highway, an express rail line and Tuanhe Road be built above and over Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway while it was in operation, setting a new standard for precision construction, Zhang said.

Now complete, the transport links are being run via an intelligent management system which utilizes big data, cloud computing and the internet of things to ensure maximum safety and efficiency.

For example, signage on the highway illuminates automatically in low light and on rainy or foggy days. A dynamic speed limit control system signals drivers to adjust their speed according to safety requirements.

Materials with ice and snow melting properties used in the tarmac, and automatic salt sprinkling devices prevent road surfaces from becoming frozen and slippery.

At tolls, drivers can pass without stopping with payment being facilitated by smart cameras, which scan license plates and deduct the toll from a linked account automatically.

A central traffic management control room acts as the beating heart of the whole operation. There is real-time traffic monitoring, big data-based intelligent analysis to monitor road conditions and predict possible problems.

This immense transport infrastructure has been put in place to serve another massive transport infrastructure project: Beijing Da xing International Airport.

Earlier this week, four commercial passenger planes completed flight trials at what is to become a new transportation hub for China to connect with the rest of the world.

The complex project impressed some 20 journalists from eight countries, including Pakistan, Mongolia, Nepal and Cambodia, during a recent media tour organized by the media center for the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and Beijing Information Office. During the tour they gained a better understanding of Beijing's development.

"My first impression is that this is a very big project," said Bilal Ahmed Sabri, a reporter from Pakistan Today. "It uses the most advanced technologies, such as the freeze-proofing road and illuminated signs to help avoid accidents. And it takes a short time to reach the airport."

Mahendra Subedi from Nepalese national news agency Rastriya Samachar Samiti said, since Beijing Capital International Airport is quite crowded, another airport is very valuable for improving the environment and quality.

"This is going to promote connectivity for China and many other countries, and boost people-to-people relations in tourism and other sectors," he said.

Fathimath Saara, a broadcaster from Public Service Media in the Maldives, said the highway will help enhance Beijing's position as an international hub.

"It's not only connected by flight and trade, but everything."

chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/16/2019 page7)