Beijing–Zhangjiakou Expressway
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|---|---|
| Jīngzhāng Gāosù Gōnglù 京张高速公路 (Chinese) | |
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| Route information | |
| Length | 79.2 km (49.2 mi) |
| Component highways |  G6 |
| Major junctions | |
| From | Yanqing, Beijing |
| To | Zhangjiakou |
| Location | |
| Country | China |
| Major cities | Beijing, Hebei |
| Highway system | |
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The Jingzhang Expressway (Chinese: 京张高速公路; pinyin: Jīngzhāng Gāosù Gōnglù) is a 79.2 kilometers (49.2 mi) expressway in China connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou. Construction began in 1998 and finished November 16, 2002. The expressway's name comes from the combination of one-character Chinese abbreviations for Beijing and Zhangjiakou (Beijing—Jing, Zhangjiakou—Zhang).
It is a part of the Jingda Expressway from central Beijing to Datong, in Shanxi province,Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag Lorries carrying supplies to help road construction and ease congestion around the city were one of the main causes for the traffic jam. Roughly 100,000 travelers ended up in the traffic jam. Throughout the whole traffic jam vendors sold drivers and passengers food and water as they waited for the whole ordeal to end.[1]
Potential trouble spots included:
- Guanting service area
- Toll gates (on the expressway, not at the individual exits)
- Major checkpoint at Kangzhuang, Beijing
At the toll station in Daijiaying, and at every exit in the Beijing direction, road signs urged drivers to use China National Highway 110 instead of the Jingzhang Expressway. The traffic jam meant that usual two-hour trip from Zhangjiakou to Beijing took nearly two days instead.[citation needed]
These traffic jams continued on and off well into 2005. As a result, a second expressway linking Beijing to Zhangjiakou is in the plans.
The main reason for the jams was bureaucracy. At every change of jurisdiction, there was a toll gate where lorries not only paid their tolls but also underwent weight examinations. The issue was every province had different standards and did not recognise the certificates issued from toll gates in other provinces claiming that the lorries were not overloaded, forcing trucks to redo the test in every province. Beijing enforced a very low tolerance and forced even passenger cars to undergo the weight examination.
If a lorry was overweight, it had to unload and pass through the test again. Few people cooperated, instead willing to sit it out by parking their lorries on the hard shoulder of the expressway. The average time it took for a lorry to get through the test varied from five to 50 minutes, depending on the results.
Road conditions
Speed limit
Most of the expressway has a speed limit of 110 km/h. Hillier terrain and the Guanting Bridge have a lower speed limit of 80 km/h. Speed checks are rare.
Tolls
The entire stretch charges tolls. The toll system is not networked.
Lanes
The expressway has four lanes (two up, two down) throughout.
Surface conditions
Surface conditions are moderately good.
Traffic
Traffic conditions to Zhangjiakou from Beijing are better than those in the opposite direction.
Major exits
Major exits from the expressway are at Donghuayuan, Huailai, Jimingyi, Xiahuayuan, and Zhangjiakou.
Service areas
The Guanting Service Area is next to the Guanting Bridge.
Connections
The expressway becomes Badaling Expressway 60 km from Beijing.
After exit no. 5, the Jingzhang Expressway spins off to the right; continuing straight ahead leads to Datong in Shanxi province via the Xuanda Expressway instead.
List of exits
 | This article contains a bulleted list or table of intersections which should be presented in a properly formatted junction table. |
Key: ↗ = exit, ⇆ = main interchange; ¥ = central toll gate; S = service area
Exits heading west and northwest from Beijing (City Limits Toll Gate) are:
- Continues from Badaling Expressway
- ¥ Beijing City Limits Toll Gate
- ↗ 1: Donghuayuan (Exit No. 1)
- Guanting Reservoir Bridge
- S Guanting Service Area
- ↗ 2: Chicheng, Huailai (Shacheng)
- ↗ 3: Jimingyi
- ↗ 4: Xiahuayuan
- ¥ Daijiaying
- ⇆ 5: (Interchange with Xuanda Expressway) Zhangjiakou, Banpojie
- ↗ Zhangjiakou
References
- ^ Obafemee80. "China's 100-km 'Mother Of All Traffic Jam' Lasted For 10 Days, Got 10,000 Cars Stuck". AUTOJOSH. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
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