A key milestone has been reached on the West Section of the Changchun Metropolitan Ring Expressway recently: the K0+000 to K35+000 stretch became the first mainline segment to complete full paving, laying a solid foundation for the project's scheduled opening later this year.

Spanning 143.341 kilometers, this expressway starts at Yitong Manchu Autonomous County in Siping, runs through Gongzhuling, and terminates at Nong'an County in Changchun. It is built to a dual four-lane expressway standard with a design speed of 120 km/h. The full route features 3 super-large bridges, 54 major bridges, 12 interchanges, along with 7 ramp toll stations and 3 service areas.

Once the West Section connects with the existing East Ring Expressway, a complete high-speed loop around the Changchun Metropolitan Area will take shape. This will upgrade Changchun's expressway network into a "two-ring, nine-radial" structure, bringing the city's total expressway mileage to approximately 1,200 kilometers. It will serve as the critical backbone for Changchun's "one-hour economic circle" and strengthen links with all neighboring cities within the metropolitan cluster.

After the project is completed, industries along the route will be more efficiently integrated into Changchun's economic hinterland. Key sectors such as auto parts manufacturing, agricultural product processing, and eco-tourism will be connected by the ring road, accelerating the formation of a coordinated industrial ecosystem with specialized division of labor and diversified development across the metropolitan area.

Furthermore, the Changchun Metropolitan Ring Expressway links scenic spots including the Yitong Volcanic Cluster, Xiangling Park in Gongzhuling, the Liao Dynasty Pagoda in Nong'an, and the Diaoshuihu Scenic Area in Shuangyang into a tourism corridor. This will foster a "fast-access, slow-travel" tourism model, injecting strong momentum into building a renowned cultural and tourism brand for the entire Changchun Metropolitan Area.

Source: Jilin Release  Editor: Liu Jiadi