To cope with the dramatic growth in traffic demand, the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) formulated in 1988 a long-term strategy to implement a 35,000 kilometer (km) national trunk highway system. By 2004, this strategy had further evolved into a plan for a national expressway network with a total length of 85,000 km and which was targeted for completion by 2020. When the national expressway network is finished, all major economic centers and municipalities will be connected by expressways supplemented by local road networks.

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) assistance in the PRC’s road sector supports the government’s effort to expand and improve national and local road networks.   It specifically targets the less developed central and western provinces, where most of the poor live. In line with this, it approved a $600 million loan for the Eastern Sichuan Roads Development Project in September 2005. 

The project’s principal objective was to develop an integrated road transport system to support sustainable economic development in Sichuan. At appraisal, it comprised the following components: (i) construction of a 244 km, four-lane, access-controlled toll expressway from Ya’an to Lugu, including access roads, interchanges with toll stations, tunnels, bridges, administrative stations, and service areas; (ii) upgrading of 678 km of local roads; (iii) procurement of equipment for road maintenance, toll collection, surveillance and communications, tunnel operation facilities, vehicle weigh stations, road safety, and office administration; (iv) rehabilitation of  four public transport centers, and (v) consulting services and training. 

The expressway completed under the project is one of PRC’s most important road sections running in parallel to the national highway from Beijing to Kunming and the Western Development Road from Lanzhou, Gansu to Mohan, Yunnan.  It has a total length is about 244 km, including a 4 km testing section; and 9 interchanges along the alignment and altogether 270 bridges and 26 tunnels, which account for 54.2% of its length.  As it is situated in 3 climate areas, spans 3 major rivers, passes through 12 seismic fracture zones, and cuts across 2 high mountains exceeding 3,000 m above sea level, it comprises one of PRC’s most complex mountainous expressways.  It was completed and opened to traffic in April 2012.

The expressway, and particularly the bridges and tunnels, were designed and built with high quality, following prevailing international practices, and were well fitted to the natural terrains. Interchanges were well constructed and provided convenient linkages with local roads. In addition to 3 service areas, 7 rest and parking areas were built along the expressway for temporary parking and refreshment. A small market was built at each rest area to enable local farmers to sell fruit and local agricultural products to passengers in transit.

Tunnels were well constructed and provided with adequate lighting, traffic signaling, ventilation, and safety facilities. Traffic safety measures—including sign boards, rumbling strips, and vehicle emergency crash relief buffer zones—were constructed and are operational. Traffic monitoring and surveillance facilities were installed at tunnels, bridges, entrances, exits, foggy areas, sharp curves, and icy areas along the entire expressway. Special safety measures were arranged for certain sections, including for long tunnels and high-elevated bridges. Guardrails cover the whole length, and additional strengthened guardrails were installed along large structures and higher embankments.

A total of 678 km local roads were rehabilitated/upgraded. Of the total length, 158 km were partly financed by ADB and completed as the access route for project expressway construction. The remaining local roads were financed solely by the government, implemented by county and municipal communications bureaus, and completed in 2012. Upon their completion, such various services and facilities as bus terminals, fuel stations, garages, health clinics, groceries, post offices, police stations, restaurants, and markets were established along these improved local roads. As these roads have enabled local people to easily access markets, employment opportunities, education, health care, and other social amenities, they have contributed greatly to improving the people’s living standards.

Project equipment and facilities, procured with the use of local funds, prioritized traffic engineering; tunnel ventilation, lighting, and safety; and traffic monitoring, surveillance, toll collection, building, and service facilities. Public transport centers were upgraded, with capacity to dispatch 5,000 passengers a day.  Overseas training in key areas of expressway operation and maintenance was supported.  Additional trainings were also provided in cooperation with the Sichuan Communications and Technology Management College and onsite by the Sichuan Yaxi Expressway Company Limited (SYECL).

Successful completion of the planned outputs resulted in (i) a completed expressway spanning mountains and rivers, increasing the capacity of the transport corridor, (ii) an improved highway network in the project areas, (iii) significantly reduced travel time and travel distance between Ya’an and Xichang, (iv) improved road safety and reduced vehicle emission level, and (v) strengthening of institutional capacity of the Sichuan Provincial Transport Department (SPTD) and SYECL.  Attainment of these project outcomes contributed to economic development and improved living conditions in the project areas. 

The project had the SPTD as executing agency and the SYECL as implementing agency.