With the continuous advancement of modern transportation construction, projects such as cross-sea bridges and undersea tunnels have increasingly become important links connecting cities and promoting regional economic development. On June 30, 2024, the high-profile Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor was officially opened to traffic, and the cross-sea corridor connecting Shenzhen and Zhongshan was finally unveiled after years of construction. However, on the first day of opening, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor encountered unexpected traffic congestion.
1. Introduction to the Shenzhong Channel
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Passage, located in the Lingdingyang Sea at the mouth of the Pearl River, is an important passage connecting Shenzhen and Zhongshan. With a total length of about 24 kilometers, the passage integrates bridges, tunnels, artificial islands and other projects, with a design speed of 100 km/h, a two-way eight-lane design, and a design life of up to 100 years. The construction of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor aims to shorten the commuting time between Shenzhen and Zhongshan and strengthen the economic ties between the east and west banks of the Pearl River Estuary, which is of great significance for promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
2. The situation on the day of opening
On June 30, the day of the opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, there were many vehicles on the scene and the traffic flowed. According to incomplete statistics, the traffic flow on the first day of opening far exceeded expectations, resulting in serious congestion on some road sections. Congestion continues from the morning rush hour to the evening rush hour, and many citizens and tourists who had planned to travel through the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor have lamented the poor road conditions. According to netizens, the speed of some road sections has even dropped to less than 20 km/h, and the travel time has increased significantly compared with usual.
3. Discussion of the reasons
In view of the congestion phenomenon on the first day of the opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, we conducted an in-depth analysis and discussion. Here are a few of the main causes that can cause congestion:
1. Road design: Although the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor adopts a two-way eight-lane design, the number of lanes at some key nodes and intersections is not maximized, resulting in congestion when vehicles intersect. In addition, the speed limit in some sections of the road is also low, which affects the speed of vehicles.
2. Traffic organization: On the first day of opening, the traffic management department may have certain deficiencies in the traffic organization of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor. For example, the traffic flow in different directions is not reasonably predicted and allocated, resulting in an excessive concentration of vehicles in some road sections. At the same time, effective diversion measures were not taken in time for possible congestion.
3. Driver behavior: On the first day of opening, many drivers are not familiar with the road conditions of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, resulting in hesitation and slowing down during driving. In addition, some drivers may have unsafe driving behaviors such as scrambling for lanes and changing lanes illegally, which further exacerbates the congestion situation.
Fourth, the relevant departments responded
In response to the congestion on the first day of the opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, the traffic management department responded quickly. They said that they will strengthen the traffic management and diversion work of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, optimize the traffic organization plan, and ensure the smooth flow of the corridor. At the same time, they will also strengthen the publicity and education of drivers, improve their awareness of safe driving, and reduce unnecessary congestion and accidents.
5. Follow-up impact and suggestions
Although the congestion on the first day of the opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has caused inconvenience to local residents and tourists, it has also allowed us to see some problems in transportation construction. In response to these problems, we put forward the following improvement measures and suggestions:
1. Optimize road layout: In future road construction, the change of traffic flow and the demand of vehicle driving should be fully considered, and the road layout and the number of lanes should be optimized. Especially at key nodes and junctions, the number of lanes should be increased to increase the traffic capacity of vehicles.
2. Improve traffic organization: The traffic management department should strengthen the prediction and planning of road traffic, and reasonably arrange the flow of vehicles in different directions. At the same time, for possible congestion, effective diversion measures should be formulated in advance to ensure the smooth flow of the road.
3. Increase public transport capacity: In order to alleviate the traffic pressure caused by private car travel, investment and construction of public transport should be increased. For example, increasing the capacity of buses and subway lines to improve the coverage and convenience of public transportation.
4. Strengthen publicity and education: The traffic management department should strengthen the publicity and education of drivers to improve their awareness of safe driving and road traffic rules. At the same time, it can also popularize traffic safety knowledge to the public through media and other channels, and jointly maintain the order and safety of road traffic.
6. Conclusion
The opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor is of great significance for connecting Shenzhen and Zhongshan and promoting regional economic development. However, the congestion that occurred on the first day of opening also reminds us that transportation construction and management is a complex and systematic project, which requires the joint efforts of all parties to achieve good results. We look forward to playing a greater role in the coming days, bringing a more convenient and safe travel experience to local residents and tourists." At the same time, we also call on all parties to work together to solve traffic problems and jointly maintain the order and safety of road traffic.