Jingzhang Expressway
Encyclopedia
The Jingzhang Expressway (京张高速公路, Hanyu Pinyin: Jīngzhāng Gāosù Gōnglù) is an expressway
in China
which links Beijing
to Zhangjiakou
. It forms part of the Jingda Expressway
from central Beijing
through to Datong
in Shanxi
province.
Previously, traffic used China National Highway 110
, which used to be clogged up (at times) with traffic. With the traffic situation as it is, and with the onslaught of more traffic, work on the expressway started in 1998, culminating in the completion of the entire expressway on November 16, 2002. The entire length of the expressway is 148.2 kilometres.
The Jingzhang Expressway gets its name by the combination of two one-character Chinese abbreviations of both Beijing and Zhangjiakou (Beijing—Jing, Zhangjiakou—Zhang).
The Jingzhang Expressway runs within Hebei
province, although the very beginning of the expressway is in Beijing
municipality. For reference, the segment after the Beijing City Limits Toll Gate, heading toward Zhangjiakou, is considered the Jingzhang Expressway.
Basic Route: Badaling Expressway
- Donghuayuan
- Huailai - Xiahuayuan - Zhangjiakou
The entire expressway is complete and open to traffic. The expressway passes through a bridge over the Guanting Reservoir.
. The difficult part was how to get it across the Guanting Reservoir. Previously, traffic was supposed to make a detour, so as not to create a bridge across the reservoir. However, in the end, a bridge across the Guanting Reservoir was built and the expressway's total distance was thus shortened.
The Jingzhang Expressway's final segment—that linking it to the Badaling Expressway
-- was completed in November 2002. As of that moment, traffic could flow directly from Beijing
through to Zhangjiakou
in the form of a direct expressway. (Previously, traffic entered the expressway bound for Zhangjiakou only at the Tumu toll gate (now disused), 97 kilometres from Beijing.)
, forced large lorries to undergo a unified weight inspection. Given that winter was coming, and many lorries were overloaded with coal, a great number of lorries failed the test. The result: the authorities enforced a rule of "unload or we won't let you through".
The roads were saved—but not the traffic jams. Virtually overnight, a massive traffic jam piled up for traffic heading for Beijing
. China National Highway 110
was also affected.
Potential trouble spots:
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 traffic that would take two hours to travel from Zhangjiakou
to Beijing
now took nearly two days.
These traffic jams continued on and off well into 2005. As a result, a second expressway linking Beijing to Zhangjiakou is in the plans.
Reason for the jams: bureaucracy. At every change of jurisdiction, there was a toll gate where lorries not only paid their tolls but also underwent weight examinations. Trouble 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. 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: 5 – 50 minutes, depending on the results.
from Beijing
: Very good.
Traffic conditions to Beijing
from Zhangjiakou
: Good.
: Becomes the Badaling Expressway 60 km from Beijing.
Xuanda Expressway
: Becomes the Xuanda Expressway after Exit No. 5 (if one does not change direction). The Jingzhang Expressway actually spins off to the right; if one continues straight ahead, one heads for Datong
in Shanxi
province instead.
Listed are exits heading west and northwest from Beijing (City Limits Toll Gate)
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
which links Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
. It forms part of the Jingda Expressway
Jingda Expressway
The Jingda Expressway is an expressway in the People's Republic of China, starting from Beijing and ending in Datong, in Shanxi province. It is 334 km in length and was completed in full on November 16, 2002....
from central Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
through to Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
province.
Previously, traffic used China National Highway 110
China National Highway 110
China National Highway 110 runs from Beijing to Yinchuan, via Hohhot and Baotou, in Inner Mongolia. It heads northwest from Beijing to Zhangjiakou then heads straight west, and runs to approximately 1,100 kilometres....
, which used to be clogged up (at times) with traffic. With the traffic situation as it is, and with the onslaught of more traffic, work on the expressway started in 1998, culminating in the completion of the entire expressway on November 16, 2002. The entire length of the expressway is 148.2 kilometres.
The Jingzhang Expressway gets its name by the combination of two one-character Chinese abbreviations of both Beijing and Zhangjiakou (Beijing—Jing, Zhangjiakou—Zhang).
Route
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
province, although the very beginning of the expressway is in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
municipality. For reference, the segment after the Beijing City Limits Toll Gate, heading toward Zhangjiakou, is considered the Jingzhang Expressway.
Basic Route: Badaling Expressway
Badaling Expressway
The Badaling Expressway is an expressway in the People's Republic of China which links urban Beijing to the Badaling stretch of the Great Wall of China...
- Donghuayuan
Donghuayuan
Donghuayuan is a township-level division situated in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China....
- Huailai - Xiahuayuan - Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
The entire expressway is complete and open to traffic. The expressway passes through a bridge over the Guanting Reservoir.
History
The expressway was created in segments, starting in HebeiHebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
. The difficult part was how to get it across the Guanting Reservoir. Previously, traffic was supposed to make a detour, so as not to create a bridge across the reservoir. However, in the end, a bridge across the Guanting Reservoir was built and the expressway's total distance was thus shortened.
The Jingzhang Expressway's final segment—that linking it to the Badaling Expressway
Badaling Expressway
The Badaling Expressway is an expressway in the People's Republic of China which links urban Beijing to the Badaling stretch of the Great Wall of China...
-- was completed in November 2002. As of that moment, traffic could flow directly from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
through to Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
in the form of a direct expressway. (Previously, traffic entered the expressway bound for Zhangjiakou only at the Tumu toll gate (now disused), 97 kilometres from Beijing.)
Mega Traffic Jam of October 2004
In October 2004, due to both excessive checks on lorries carrying excess load and the forced unloading of excess lorries, the expressway virtually broke down and created a massive traffic jam that would last for over a month. A massive, 56 hour+ traffic jam erupted. After October 8, 2004, the checkpoint at Kangzhuang, BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, forced large lorries to undergo a unified weight inspection. Given that winter was coming, and many lorries were overloaded with coal, a great number of lorries failed the test. The result: the authorities enforced a rule of "unload or we won't let you through".
The roads were saved—but not the traffic jams. Virtually overnight, a massive traffic jam piled up for traffic heading for Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. China National Highway 110
China National Highway 110
China National Highway 110 runs from Beijing to Yinchuan, via Hohhot and Baotou, in Inner Mongolia. It heads northwest from Beijing to Zhangjiakou then heads straight west, and runs to approximately 1,100 kilometres....
was also affected.
Potential trouble spots:
- Guanting service area
- Toll gates (on the expressway, not at the individual exits)
- Major checkpoint at Kangzhuang, BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
At the toll station in Daijiaying, and at every exit in the Beijing direction, road signs urged drivers to use China National Highway 110
China National Highway 110
China National Highway 110 runs from Beijing to Yinchuan, via Hohhot and Baotou, in Inner Mongolia. It heads northwest from Beijing to Zhangjiakou then heads straight west, and runs to approximately 1,100 kilometres....
instead of the Jingzhang Expressway. The traffic jam meant that traffic that would take two hours to travel from Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
now took nearly two days.
These traffic jams continued on and off well into 2005. As a result, a second expressway linking Beijing to Zhangjiakou is in the plans.
Reason for the jams: bureaucracy. At every change of jurisdiction, there was a toll gate where lorries not only paid their tolls but also underwent weight examinations. Trouble 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. 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: 5 – 50 minutes, depending on the results.
Speed Limit
Most of the expressway has a speed limit of 110 km/h. Hillier terrain has a lower speed limit of 80 km/h. The Guanting Bridge has a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h. Speed checks are rare.Traffic
Traffic conditions to ZhangjiakouZhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
: Very good.
Traffic conditions to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
from Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
: Good.
Connections
Badaling ExpresswayBadaling Expressway
The Badaling Expressway is an expressway in the People's Republic of China which links urban Beijing to the Badaling stretch of the Great Wall of China...
: Becomes the Badaling Expressway 60 km from Beijing.
Xuanda Expressway
Xuanda Expressway
The Xuanda Expressway , is an expressway in China which links Xuanhua in Hebei province with Datong in Shanxi province....
: Becomes the Xuanda Expressway after Exit No. 5 (if one does not change direction). The Jingzhang Expressway actually spins off to the right; if one continues straight ahead, one heads for Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
province instead.
List of Exits
Symbols: ↗ = exit, ⇆ = main interchange; ¥ = central toll gate; S = service areaListed are exits heading west and northwest from Beijing (City Limits Toll Gate)
- Continues from Badaling ExpresswayBadaling ExpresswayThe Badaling Expressway is an expressway in the People's Republic of China which links urban Beijing to the Badaling stretch of the Great Wall of China...
- ¥ Beijing City Limits Toll Gate
- ↗ 1: DonghuayuanDonghuayuanDonghuayuan is a township-level division situated in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China....
(Exit No. 1) - Guanting Reservoir Bridge
- S Guanting Service Area
- ↗ 2: Chicheng, Huailai (Shacheng)
- ↗ 3: Jimingyi
- ↗ 4: Xiahuayuan
- ¥ Daijiaying
- ⇆ 5: (Interchange with Xuanda ExpresswayXuanda ExpresswayThe Xuanda Expressway , is an expressway in China which links Xuanhua in Hebei province with Datong in Shanxi province....
) ZhangjiakouZhangjiakouZhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
, Banpojie - ↗ ZhangjiakouZhangjiakouZhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...