After 2 years, Beijing-Tibet highway paying dividends

Monday marked the second anniversary of the fully operational Lhasa-Nagchu section of the G6 National Expressway, which links Beijing with Tibet, the region's traffic and transportation department said.

With a length of 295 kilometer and with two lanes in each direction, the expressway runs between Nagchu in northern Tibet and Doilungdechen county in Lhasa.

Transportation official Tsering Wangmo noted that with the opening of the expressway, travel time between Lhasa and Nagchu was reduced from more than 6 hours to just 3 hours.

"This highway is built in places where the average altitude tops 4,500 meters. It is known as the highest expressway in the world," Tsering Wangmo said.

"Since its completion, the Lhasa-Nagchu Expressway has provided great travel convenience for people who live along the line, and it has contributed to the three-hour economic circle of Lhasa."

The department said that during the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the region's traffic and transportation sectors will continue to accelerate the construction of other key highway projects in the region, including one between Lhasa and Shigatse. 

With the completion and operation of multiple highways in recent years, Tibet has upgraded tourism and other industries and accelerated the pace at which the region is being integrated economically with neighboring regions.