In the Yangtze River Delta, a prosperous economic hot land, the cooperation in transportation infrastructure construction between the three provinces and one city is getting closer and closer. Major projects such as the Shanghai-Suzhou-Lake high-speed railway and the Hangzhou-Hehe Expressway have been launched, which will not only shorten the time and space distance between cities, but also promote the economic integration and coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.
As a high-speed railway connecting Shanghai, Suzhou, Huzhou and other important cities in the Yangtze River Delta, the construction of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Lake high-speed railway has made remarkable progress. This high-speed rail line will greatly shorten the travel time between Shanghai and Suzhou, Huzhou and other cities, and provide a convenient channel for economic exchanges and personnel exchanges in the Yangtze River Delta region.
At the same time, the Hangzhou-Hefei Expressway project is also in full swing. The expressway starts from Hefei East and connects to the Hefei section of the proposed Hanghe Expressway in Anhui Province to the north, with a total length of about 58 kilometers and a two-way six-lane design. It is reported that the project is initially planned to start construction in 2025 and is expected to be completed and opened to traffic by the end of 2028. At that time, the travel time between Hangzhou and Hefei will be greatly shortened, and the economic ties between the two cities will be closer.
As an important part of the project, the Ma'anshan section of the Hangzhou-Hehe Expressway is divided into two sections, Jiangbei and Jiangnan. The first phase of the project, which is scheduled to start by the end of 2024, will lay a solid foundation for a new fast track from Hefei to Hangzhou. This new channel will become an important link between Anhui Province and the developed areas of the Yangtze River Delta, and drive the economic development of the Hewuxuan region of Anhui Province.
In recent years, the economic development momentum of the Yangtze River Delta region has been strong. As an international metropolis, Shanghai's total GDP and per capita GDP are among the highest in the country, with a population of more than 24 million. As one of the economic centers of the Yangtze River Delta region, Suzhou and Hangzhou have also maintained steady growth in total GDP and per capita GDP, with populations exceeding 12 million and 10 million respectively. As the capital city of Anhui Province, Hefei has developed rapidly in recent years, with a total GDP and per capita GDP that have grown by leaps and bounds, and a population of more than 8 million.
With the continuous improvement and upgrading of transportation infrastructure construction in the Yangtze River Delta region, the economic ties between these cities will be closer and the flow of people will be more convenient. This will not only promote the economic integration and coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, but also bring a better life experience to the residents of the Yangtze River Delta region.