Jinggang’ao: The World's Largest Highway with 50 Lanes

The Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, known as Jinggang’ao (G4), is one of the largest and busiest road axes in the world. With a total length of 2,272 kilometers, it connects major cities in China.

In sections near major cities such as Wuhan and Shenzhen, daily traffic exceeds 50,000 vehicles. During peak periods, this number increases significantly.

Construction began in April 1986 with a 270-kilometer section connecting Beijing to Shijiazhuang. Gradually, other sections were added, forming the current route. Many sections have been upgraded to 8 lanes to support speeds up to 120 km/h.

The highway is famous for its heavy traffic congestion, especially during the National Day of China. At a toll station outside Beijing, the road temporarily widens to about 50 lanes, causing traffic jams.

Since 2020, China has removed toll stations at provincial borders, replacing them with electronic data collection systems. Thousands of cameras with artificial intelligence monitor the highway, detecting accidents in less than 30 seconds.

It is estimated that over 15% of land trade between mainland China and Hong Kong passes through this axis. Each service station has fast chargers for electric vehicles, and a network has been installed in the southern section to support autonomous vehicles.