Lhasa Airport Expressway

The expressway from Lhasa to Gonggar Airport in Shannan Prefecture is the first expressway to be built in the Tibet Autonomous Region.[1] Construction began in April 2009.[2] In May 2011 it was reported that the bridges and culverts were complete and tunnel construction was almost finished, with 66 percent of the road paved.[3] The expressway was completed eleven months ahead of schedule early in July 2011 at a cost of 1.59 billion yuan. The opening ceremony was held on 17 July 2011, attended by Vice President Xi Jinping.[2] Tibetan traditional dancers performed during the ceremony.[4]

The expressway is 37.8 kilometres (23.5 mi) long and has four lanes. It provides a link from metropolitan Lhasa's downtown to Lhasa Gonggar Airport, the international airport serving the city. The expressway begins in the south end just west of the airport, and ends in the southeastern part of Doilungdêqên District, in Liuwu New Area near Lhasa railway station. The speed limit is 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph). Roadside lighting is solar powered. Travel time is shortened to 30 minutes, half the time with the previous route.[2] Formerly travelers from the airport used the congested China National Highway 318.[5]

The expressway connects at an interchange with China National Highway 349 just north of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. This section of China National Highway 349 opened on 8 December 2017 for trial operations.[6]