All 10 tunnels on the Jinan-Weifang Expressway have been drilled through on Nov 25, which will contribute to the overall completion of the expressway, as well as the formation of economic circles connecting the provincial capital Jinan and the Jiaodong peninsula.

The total length of the Jinan-Weifang Expressway, which heads east from Jinan to Weifang, is 161.9 kilometers and consists of six lanes on both sides of the expressway. The designated speed of the expressway is 120 km per hour.

The Jinan-Weifang Expressway, which is a crucial part of the middle line of Jinan-Qingdao Expressway, is expected to reduce traffic congestion between Jinan and Qingdao.

Currently, there are two major expressways in use between Jinan and Qingdao, a north line and a south line. The north line has been in use for almost 30 years since 1993, and has a lot of traffic congestion.

The middle line is connected with the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway, which is a north-south railway artery, the Binzhou-Laiwu Expressway, and the Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway, making it a crucial part of the provincial road network.

After the middle line construction is completed, the three major expressways – the north, south, and middle – between Jinan and Qingdao are expected to smooth out the transportation network in the region.

A bird's-eye view of the Xiaoxujia pivot on the Jinan-Qingdao Expressway. [Photo/e23.cn]