Guiyang–Pingtang Expressway opens to traffic

The Guiyang–Pingtang Expressway in Southwest China's Guizhou province opened to traffic on Dec 26, 2025, offering a major new north–south transport artery and creating a direct land–sea corridor linking the region with the Beibu Gulf in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The 174-kilometer expressway starts in Yangchang, Wudang district, Guiyang, passes through Guiding and Longli counties, and ends at the Guizhou–Guangxi border in Zhemi town, Pingtang county.

With a total investment of over 39.2 billion yuan ($5.62 billion), the expressway is built to a dual six-lane standard with a designed speed of 100 kilometers per hour. It has cut travel time between Guiyang and Pingtang from about 2.5 hours to just one hour.

The expressway proved difficult to build, with bridges and tunnels accounting for more than 50 percent of the route, with some sections exceeding 90 percent due to complex karst geology. Advanced construction techniques and real-time monitoring were applied to ensure safety and quality.

The expressway features 12 toll stations, strategically arranged to meet local travel needs while connecting tourism resources with industrial parks along the route. It also includes the Jiaqing integrated transport-and-tourism service area, designed as a gateway for visitors to the Pingtang National Geopark.

Beyond improving mobility, the expressway is expected to activate a key logistics corridor connecting the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor with Beibu Gulf ports. It will support industrial growth, facilitate the outbound transport of agricultural products, boost tourism, and inject strong momentum into rural vitalization and regional coordinated development in Pingtang and surrounding areas.