On September 4, 2024, after 354 days of unremitting efforts, the Hecang No. 2 Tunnel of the Lianshan–Hezhou Expressway (Guangxi Section), invested in and constructed by Guangxi Communications Investment Group, was successfully holed through. With this, all 13 tunnels of the Lianhe Expressway have achieved full-bore breakthrough, pressing the "fast-forward button" for the project's completion and opening to traffic.

The Hecang No. 2 Tunnel is a separated double-tube tunnel with a maximum burial depth of 161 meters, located in a tectonically denuded low-mountain hilly landform. Its mudstone layer is dominated by sandstone with locally intercalated thin layers of shale; the rock mass is fractured, and Grade V surrounding rock accounts for more than 70%, making construction extremely difficult. Since the start of tunnel excavation at the first tunnel—the Fo Zijie Tunnel—the project has adhered to the guidance of quality Party building, given full play to the vanguard and exemplary role of Party members, and established the "Jiaotou Vanguard + Party Member Assault Team" to overcome key and difficult points in project construction. It has actively implemented the concept of "mechanization replacing manpower, automation reducing manpower, and intelligent unmanned operation," actively promoted the application of "four new" technologies, introduced the C6-T multifunctional tunnel drilling rig and TGS equipment for advanced geological drilling and long-distance forecasting, and adopted new automated equipment such as the integrated trolley for secondary lining and cable trenches and three-dimensional geological visualization comprehensive forecasting, overcoming difficulties in tunnel construction such as complex geological conditions, hazardous working environments, high safety risks, and stringent environmental protection requirements, thereby ensuring the safe breakthrough of all tunnels along the line.

The Lianhe Expressway is one of the major infrastructure investment and construction projects coordinated and advanced by Guangxi, and is also an important section of Horizontal Line 3 in the Guangxi Expressway Network Plan (2018–2030). The main line of the project has a total length of 49.5 kilometers. It starts at the Guangxi–Guangdong border in Lingbei Natural Village, Shadong Village, Nanzhen Township, Babu District, Hezhou City, Guangxi, and connects with the Lianshan–Hezhou Expressway (Guangdong Section) under construction. It passes through Nanzhen Township, Huangdong Yao Township, and Liantang Town, and ends north of Toutang Town in Hejie Town, where the Hezhou South Interchange connects with the already-open Guanghe Expressway. After the project is completed and opened to traffic, it will further strengthen economic exchanges between Guangdong and Guangxi, comprehensively enhance the level of openness and cooperation in the eastern Guangxi region, drive the development of industry, agriculture, and tourism along the route, and support the construction of "one zone, two places, one park, and one corridor."

At present, the Lianhe Expressway has completed an investment of 7.122 billion yuan, accounting for 88.4% of the total. Of the 33 main-line bridges, 23 have been holed through, and pavement construction has been comprehensively accelerated as the project strives to meet the goal of opening to traffic within the year.