During the past 10 years, great changes have taken place in Tibetan transportation business.

With the fastest construction speed, most investment, and constantly improved management system, Tibetan highway transportation has acquired the most noteworthy construction achievements, bringing the rural highway construction a historical leap to a better stage of best and fastest development.

Tibetan highway [Photo/www.nipic.com]

Back to the old days, Tibetan highway construction was left behind due to its bad natural conditions and weak economic base.

Since 2001, budget and investment for Tibet highway construction has been expanded. With 53.3 billion yuan (about $8.56 billion) investment, the Tibetan highway total distance has increased from 39760 kilometers to 63108 kilometers by the end of 2011 at a growth rate of 58.7%.

The amount of newly built and rebuilt highway in the past decade exceeds the sum total of that in the previous 50 years after the Tibet Peaceful Liberation. The airport expressway between Lhasa and Gunga fulfils the zero breakthrough of Tibetan expressway. The opening of the Galongla tunnel on Mutuo highway ends up the highway-less history of the last county in China.

Tibetan road network has made breaking through development by increasing 265.4% of the previous 10,647 km highway roads that can be graded at the level of political unit. So far, 60 counties in Tibet have had asphalt road.

Meanwhile, the passenger transport network also has a primary formation. Now there are 30,000 commercial cars in the whole Tibet Autonomous Region. Accordingly, the passenger transport routes has risen from less than 100 to 353, covering 98.6% Tibetan counties and 61% Tibetan rural towns.

There is also an international transportation route bridging Lhasa and Katmandu, with altogether 66 passenger stations at county and township levels and 205 simple docking points.

National road 307 in Tibet Autonomous Region [Photo/China.com.cn]

It is reported that a new project is under smooth construction, which is the Risur Bridge Highway that connects China’s Tibet and Nepal. It is predicted to be put into service in November, 2013.

This new tourism and trade channel will bring greater benefits to China and Nepal. It is also the second highway between the two countries through Zhangmu Port.

The Risur Bridge Highway is 94 kilometers long. It is reported that the project adopts the Level 4 technical standard of road construction, with a design speed of 20 kilometers per hour, 6.5 meters width of roadbed and 6 meters wide pavement. The whole project will be invested with 399,925,519 yuan (about $64.3 million) and its overall construction will last for 18 months.

The newly built highways along with the old ones will bring together great opportunities to Tibet’s development. Tibetans believe that their life will become better and better owing to the highways that lead them to wealth.

The highway through Zhangmu Port [Photo/CNR.cn]