China’s Highway Network Over 75 Years: From 80,000 to 5.43 Million Kilometers

Today, urban goods can reach every household in rural villages thanks to convenient e‑commerce and logistics, while high‑quality agricultural products from the countryside can be served on city tables in a matter of hours.

Highways are the primary mode of transportation for people—there is no other. According to official statistics, 2023 In annual interregional population mobility, the share of road passenger transport volume is 92.3% …is the mainstay of passenger transport. As you drive through bustling interchanges, speed along the highway, and reach those once‑remote villages that now seem so accessible, it may be hard to imagine that just a few decades ago, these roads were far from the extensive, convenient, and efficient networks we enjoy today.

  In the early years following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, most roads could hardly be considered highways. In… 8.07 Of the total road mileage of ten thousand kilometers, only a portion is paved. 3 Ten thousand kilometers. A large portion of the roads are dirt and gravel tracks; they remain passable in dry weather, but become impassable as soon as it rains.

1953 Starting in [year], the state began to carry out transportation infrastructure development in a planned manner, 1954 In that year, the Sichuan–Tibet Highway and the Qinghai–Tibet Highway were officially opened to traffic, marking the beginning of highway construction in New China.

Lhasa, Tibet: A railway opening ceremony held in front of the Potala Palace.

( 1954 year 12 month 25 (Photo taken on [date]). Xinhua News Agency.

1978 In that year, China’s total road mileage increased tenfold, from 8 Increased from ten thousand to 89 Ten thousand kilometers, but the road standards are low; there are few high-grade roads, asphalt pavements, and bridges over major rivers, and the average cruising speed is only 30 Kilometer. “ On a sunny day, you’re covered in dust; on a rainy day, you’re caked in mud. ” It was a true reflection of travel by car back then.

20 Century 80 In those years, many places had national and provincial highways, and it was common to see horse-drawn carts, ox-carts, non-motorized vehicles, and a small number of motorized vehicles all sharing the roads. By this time, there were already approximately… in the world. 50 A country has already built expressways, whereas China’s expressway construction is only just getting off the ground.

1988 In that year, China built its first expressway. —— The Shanghai–Jiading Expressway, which runs from Shanghai to Jiading, marked a breakthrough from nothing to something. 1990 Year is hailed as “ China’s No. 1 Road ” The Shenyang–Dalian Expressway was completed and opened to traffic, after which China’s expressway network entered a period of rapid expansion.

The construction of rural roads has also been receiving increasing attention. 2000 year 8 In [month], China proposed implementing rural road projects. “ Tongda Engineering ”。2003 Year to 2004 In that year, a total of rural paved roads were constructed nationwide. 19.2 Ten thousand kilometers—annual construction volume exceeds the previous level. 50 The cumulative total of rural paved-road construction over many years.

As of 2023 By the end of the year, the total length of China’s highways had reached 543.68 kilometers, of which the total length of rural roads is 459.86 ten thousand kilometers, accounting for the total length of the road network 84.6% ; Expressway mileage 18.36 Ten thousand kilometers, including the length of national expressways. 12.23 Ten thousand kilometers.

Road construction in New China began from “ A branch of a withered tree ” It has evolved into an extensive, interconnected road network, which continues to expand and become even more dense today.

01 Highways make travel more convenient.

“To get rich, build roads first.” “Small roads bring little wealth; big roads bring prosperity; expressways bring rapid prosperity.” Behind these familiar slogans, the road network—like winding veins—not only tightly connects the vast expanse of our land but also serves as a bridge, paving the way for a better life.  

According to data from the Ministry of Transport, as of 2023 At the end of the year, the total length of expressways was 18.36 Ten thousand kilometers, including the length of national expressways. 12.23 Ten thousand kilometers.

Transportation was quite different in the past. With underdeveloped road networks, travel was extremely difficult, and interregional mobility was sluggish and confined to limited areas. Take transportation along the Yangtze River as an example: before the advent of expressways, people relied mainly on ferries and poorly maintained ordinary roads, often requiring considerable time to complete a journey.

1988 year 10 month 31 On [date], the Shanghai–Jiaxing Expressway officially opened to traffic along its entire length.

Image source: Internet

Professor Lu Yunfeng of the Department of Sociology at Peking University recalls… 1994 The journey of studying in those years, “ From Wushan to Nanjing, a steamship voyage takes five days; if floods force the route to be closed, you’ll have to wait several more days. The return trip, meanwhile, takes nearly a week. ”。

On the Chongqing–Yichang section, in the days when only waterways were available, conventional passenger ferries typically took three to five days. Traveling on ordinary or national highways would take one to two days, while opting for the expressway could cut that down to seven or eight hours. Like Chongqing and Yichang, countless other locales have seen their travel times drastically shortened thanks to improved highway connectivity.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Transport, 2024 year 1-8 Month, completed cross-regional personnel mobility volume 439.7 hundred million passenger trips, of which the completed road passenger volume was 402.9 hundreds of millions of visits, up year-on-year 5.4% This figure continues to grow. 2024 year 9 month 28 On [date], the Yunnan Huaping–Lijiang Expressway Project (hereinafter referred to as… “ Splendid Expressway ” ) Officially opened to traffic along its entire length. National Highway Network G4216 A section of the Chengdu–Lijiang Expressway has ended the longstanding situation in which Lijiang in Yunnan and Panzhihua in Sichuan, two neighboring prefectures, were served by different expressways, reducing travel time from the previous… 6 Reduced from over an hour to 2 A little over an hour.

For rural areas and remote mountainous regions, the benefits of road construction are particularly pronounced. These areas, once isolated and cut off from the outside world, faced significant challenges: mobility was difficult, local products could not be sold, and goods from urban centers could not reach them, making transportation the greatest obstacle to economic development.

2000 year 8 In [month], China proposed implementing rural road projects. “ Tongda Engineering ” Rural paved-road construction is rapidly accelerating. 2014 Since [year], the Ministry of Transport has been promoting… “ Four-Good Rural Roads ” Construction calls for building, managing, maintaining, and operating rural roads effectively.

As of 2023 At the end of the year, the total mileage of rural roads 459.86 ten thousand kilometers, accounting for the total length of the road network 84.6% . Among them, the county road 69.7 Ten thousand kilometers, rural roads 124.3 Ten thousand kilometers, village roads 265.9 kilometers, with the proportion of asphalt and concrete roads reaching 91.8% 。

Today, urban goods can reach every household in rural villages thanks to convenient e‑commerce and logistics, while high‑quality agricultural products from the countryside can be served on city tables in a matter of hours.

In Jinchuan District of Jinchang City, Gansu Province, millions of tons of agricultural products—including corn, potatoes, and onions—are primarily shipped to Shandong, Guangdong, Henan, and Hubei. Similarly, in Yuyang District of Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, substantial volumes of corn, watermelons, Chinese yams, and potatoes are transported mainly to Guangdong, Shandong, Guizhou, Chongqing, and other regions. By blazing trails through mountains and building bridges across rivers, road infrastructure has linked isolated points into continuous routes and networks, turning once‑insurmountable barriers into smooth thoroughfares.

Perhaps you often see “71118” This enigmatic string of numbers, however, remains shrouded in mystery. In fact, it refers to the national expressway network. “7 Shoot, 11 Vertical, 18 Horizontal ”， “7 Shoot ” Refers to those departing from the capital. 7 a radial route, and “11 Vertical ” and “18 Horizontal ” They respectively connect north and south, and link east and west.

This is 2013 Year edition of the “National Highway Network Plan ( 2013 year -2030 proposed in the year), 2022 In the latest plan released this year, additional measures have been introduced on this basis. 12 a metropolitan area ring line, 11 parallel lines and 58 A connecting line has been adjusted. 6 The existing planned route alignment.

The latest plan indicates that by 2035 Year, the total planned scale of the national highway network is approximately 46.1 Ten thousand kilometers, comprising the national expressway network and the ordinary national highway network, account for approximately… 16.2 Ten thousand kilometers (including the prospective extension line, approximately 0.8 ten thousand kilometers) and approximately 29.9 Ten thousand kilometers—by then, a modern, high-quality national highway network will have been essentially completed, characterized by extensive coverage, comprehensive functionality, intensive and efficient operation, green and intelligent design, and robust safety and reliability.

02 When you do the math, a road is more than just a road.

At the outset of the reform and opening-up, economic development urgently called for the construction of more highways. At the time, the national treasury was limited, and even transportation projects already included in the national plan lacked sufficient funding. How could more highways be built? Some provinces resorted to creative solutions of their own to find a way forward. Under the national regulations then in place, road maintenance fees were generally levied at a rate of… of the freight charges. 6%-8% , with a maximum not exceeding 10% . In 1972 In [year], with the approval of the provincial government, road maintenance fees were levied as a percentage of freight charges. 12% Despite the imposition of levies, transport enterprises’ profits were not eroded; on the contrary, they rose to the highest level nationwide as the efficiency of road transport improved.

1981 In [year], Guangdong Province was the first to propose… “ Borrowing to build roads and repaying loans through tolls ” the vision, pioneering nationwide “ Bridge-funded bridge, road-funded road. ” a pioneering initiative. Guangdong, by attracting foreign investment, transformed ferries into bridges and implemented “ Bridge tolls, toll-funded repayment ” At the time, the Ministry of Transport drew on practices from abroad as well as from Shandong and Guangdong provinces in China, and put forward a series of measures to raise funds for highway construction. 1985 In that year, the Measures for the Collection of Vehicle Acquisition Additional Fees were implemented. By increasing road maintenance fees and levying vehicle acquisition taxes and tolls, these measures provided a relatively stable and long-term source of funding for highway construction, maintenance, and upgrading.

2017 Starting in [year], pilot programs were launched to issue special-purpose bonds for local government‑operated toll roads, meaning that in the future, newly built toll roads will no longer be able to rely on bank loans for financing, but rather… “ How much debt to issue, how many roads to build. ” This is because, under the previous loan‑financed road‑building model, some localities issued loans indiscriminately, leading to a spiraling increase in debt. Meanwhile, relatively high bank‑loan financing costs placed excessive pressure on governments to service both principal and interest. Consequently, in order to contain debt levels and mitigate debt risks, government‑issued special bonds for toll roads have become the sole channel for financing such projects, with these bonds now subject to the local government’s special‑bond quota management. “ Highway bond ” Under the new model, highway construction continues to develop steadily.

According to 2023 Annual Statistical Bulletin on the Development of the Transport Sector: Throughout the year, fixed-asset investment in highways was completed. 28240 hundred million yuan. Among them, the expressway has completed 15955 hundred million yuan, ordinary national and provincial roads completed 6136 hundred million yuan, rural roads completed 4843 hundred million yuan. Throughout the year, nationwide 832 A poverty-alleviation county has completed fixed-asset investment in road infrastructure. 7183 Hundreds of millions of yuan. With the roads now in place, the next question is how to drive growth. The role of highways has continued to expand: once confined to transport, they have evolved into scenic byways and tourist corridors. In this new era, roads have taken on fresh meaning. 318 National highways are a prime example—they are the choice of countless self-drive travelers. “ I must drive in this lifetime. ” The path of dreams. And 318 Chengdu on the National Highway - The Lhasa Line is precisely… 1950 year -1954 The Sichuan–Tibet Highway, completed in [year], has served since its opening as a vital transportation artery linking Tibet with the Chinese mainland. It carries abundant goods from inland China to Tibet while also bringing high-quality products from the snow-covered plateau into the broader domestic market. With its stunning natural scenery along the route, the highway attracts countless self-drive tourists. As you journey along the Sichuan–Tibet Highway, the gradual rise in elevation reveals a breathtaking panorama of diverse landscapes—plains, plateaus, alpine canyons, and snow-capped mountains and glaciers—earning the road the reputation of… “ China’s Most Beautiful Scenic Highway ”。

On the southern island of Hainan, there is a main line with a total length of 988 kilometers of road, it “ Select routes based on scenery, and link attractions along the way. ” , passing along the way 9 Class 84 The scenic area has been developed into a trail that connects numerous picturesque spots across the entire island. “ Pearl necklace ”。2023 year 12 month 18 On [date], the Hainan Ring Island Tourism Highway was fully opened to traffic, and many of its scenic spots have become popular check-in destinations.

Every year, social media buzzes with a flood of new self-drive routes, many of which are hidden gem highways. Travelers choose to explore these roads by car, immersing themselves in the region’s breathtaking natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Highways are more than just pathways—they are the lifeblood of regional economic development, like capillaries spreading across the land, continuously fueling growth. They create jobs, stimulate commerce, and bolster the development of tourism resources. ...... Today, the path holds limitless potential for growth.

03 From Manual Construction to Smart Highways

Looking back, highway construction has surmounted one obstacle after another. From the earliest rudimentary methods of road building to today’s modern, mechanized, and highly efficient practices, and from simple dirt-and-gravel tracks to the smooth, paved thoroughfares of asphalt concrete, highway‑construction technology has achieved a qualitative leap. Last century 50 In the early years of the decade, when the Sichuan–Tibet and Qinghai–Tibet Highways were being constructed, 11 On Wanzhu Road, soldiers and civilians wielded shovels, emitting… “ Make the towering mountains bow their heads and the rivers yield the way. ” With a bold vow, and driven by an unyielding will to live, they chiseled out inch by inch… “ Heavenly Road ” , creating a miracle in the history of highway construction.

Arrived 1997 In that year, the construction of Heilongjiang Province’s first expressway was still quite rudimentary. “ The technological capabilities of the past are incomparable to those of today; everything relied on manual labor—measuring with tape measures and surveying poles, each… 50 Measure once per meter. ” Liu Guofeng of the Heilongjiang Provincial Highway Survey and Design Institute, who once took part in the project’s design, recalled.

In recent years, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge and the Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link, both completed and opened to traffic, have marked major breakthroughs in highway construction. By leveraging new technologies, equipment, materials, and construction methods, China has pushed the boundaries of engineering—from island‑tunnel projects to integrated complexes encompassing islands, tunnels, bridges, and underwater interchanges; from two‑way six‑lane reinforced‑concrete immersed tunnels to two‑way eight‑lane steel‑shell concrete immersed tunnels—consistently surpassing international standards and its own previous achievements, while setting numerous world records.

At present, China is advancing the development of smart highways, integrating next-generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data into every stage of highway construction and management. Practices such as intelligent management of the construction process, smart monitoring of infrastructure conditions, and intelligent traffic‑flow regulation have already been put into practical use. 。 The Beijing–Xiong’an Expressway is among the first batch of smart highway pilot projects designated by the Ministry of Transport. Along this route, intelligent infrastructure is ubiquitous: smart lighting poles, automated snow-melting and ice-removal systems, and advanced traffic‑intelligence analytics. ...... Greatly enhances driving safety and efficiency. Smart highways also enable… “ Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration ” At its core, leveraging advanced communication and sensing technologies, real-time perception data collected by road infrastructure is transmitted to the vehicle cloud. The vehicle cloud then analyzes, controls, and responds to road conditions, thereby enhancing driving safety and efficiency.

Puyuan Avenue in Puyuan Town, Tongxiang, Zhejiang, is a microcosm of China’s digital and intelligent road infrastructure, serving as… “ Holographic Digital Road ” Through intelligent sensing and smart computing, real-time control of variable‑lane systems has been achieved, effectively alleviating structural congestion on roadways. Today, China’s highway construction has advanced to a higher level of technological sophistication, placing it at the forefront globally, and continues to evolve toward greater intelligence and sustainability. The Ministry of Transport’s “Opinions on Promoting the Digital Transformation of Highways and Accelerating the Development of Smart Highways” outlines plans to, by… 2035 year , Achieve comprehensive digital transformation of the highway network, establishing two parallel systems: a physical highway infrastructure that is safe, convenient, efficient, green, and cost-effective, and a digital twin highway.

Upon the founding of the People’s Republic of China 75 On this anniversary, we remain mindful of the path we have traveled. —— From the earliest muddy tracks to today’s intricate network of highways, and from ordinary roads to cutting-edge smart highways, every step in road construction has marked an enduring milestone.