CONSTRUCTION of the Liantang-Yantian section of the eastern coastal expressway is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
When the road opens next month, motorists will find it easier and cheaper to drive from downtown Shenzhen to Yantian District and Huizhou City.
There is some speculation that the shorter link may help drive up housing prices in the less crowded Yantian.
The road, which runs parallel with Wutongshan Tunnel, is expected to shorten the travel time from Luohu District to Yantian from two hours to 20 minutes. Unlike Wutongshan Tunnel, which has a 10-yuan toll, there is no charge to use the new road.
The 11.5-kilometer Liantang-Yantian section begins in the Liantang area of Luosha Road and ends at Yantian Port. The two-way, six-lane road has two flyovers, seven tunnels and seven bridges. About 10 km of the road involves bridges, overpasses or tunnels making construction difficult.
Work on the road started in February 2005, costing 1.7 billion yuan (US$247.64 million).
With easier access to coastal Yantian, analysts expect the district property market to boom. “Many homebuyers will consider Yantian and sales of two- and three-bedroom apartments will go up. Of course, the demand for homes in other districts will decrease in turn,” said Gao Haiyan, a researcher with the Shenzhen Social Sciences Acadamy.
Although it is located within the special economic zone and boasts Dameisha and Xiaomeisha beaches and the OCT East resort, Yantian has long been considered as a less desirable place to live because of difficult traffic conditions.
The eastern coastal expressway in eastern Shenzhen runs through Luohu District, Yantian District and Huizhou City. It is the second expressway linking Shenzhen and Huizhou.
(Liu Minxia)