Project construction is a powerful engine and solid support for promoting high-quality economic development. In July, Nanning is surging with activity. Over the past few days, we visited the front lines of several major projects and saw "hot and sizzling" construction scenes everywhere, with a number of key projects achieving major progress: the gravity wharf of the first water service area on the Pinglu Canal was successfully capped; the Nanning-Yulin section of the Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway completed track laying along the entire line and will open within the year; the Nanning Wuxu Airport expansion and renovation project plans to complete the main construction by the end of this year; the Nanning Second Ring Expressway is expected to be fully connected in 2026...
　　It is reported that from January to June this year, the city completed fixed asset investment of 10.9 billion yuan in highways, railways, waterways, civil aviation and the postal industry. Next, Nanning will continue to advance the construction of a three-dimensional and efficient connectivity network of "highways, railways, waterways and air," and strive to complete 23.841 billion yuan in comprehensive transportation fixed asset investment for the year.
　　Water "supply station" on the Nanning section of the Pinglu Canal capped
　　Clouds drift and unfurl, and the water ripples. On July 17, at the construction site of Wharf No. 6 of Bid Section 1 of the Pinglu Canal waterway, located in Pidi Village, Xinfu Town, Hengzhou City, Guangxi Nanning, machinery roared and transport vehicles shuttled back and forth, presenting a busy scene.
　　It is reported that Bid Section 1 of the waterway is located in the Xijin Reservoir area, starting at Pingtang River Mouth (Jiangkou Village, Xinfu Town, Hengzhou City) and ending at Xinfu Town, Hengzhou City, with a total length of 19.723 kilometers. The construction content includes waterway engineering, diversion engineering, the upstream waterway anchorage project of the Madao Hub, water service area engineering, and restorative road and bridge engineering.
　　"As of the end of June this year, this bid section has completed a cumulative output value of 900 million yuan since commencement, accounting for 53% of the contract amount; earth and rock excavation has reached 14.6 million cubic meters, completing 69% of the total volume," introduced Wang Cancan, executive manager of the Pinglu Canal Bid Section 1 project of CCCC Guangzhou Dredging Co., Ltd. "In the second half of the year, we will anchor to the milestone schedule, accelerate earth and rock excavation construction, complete 75% of waterway revetment, and advance the century-quality project with high standards and high quality."
　　The Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area is the only water "supply station" on the Nanning section of the Pinglu Canal. It was learned from the project construction site that the gravity wharf of this service area was capped at the end of June. Land backfilling and ancillary engineering construction are currently underway, with construction planned to be completed in September this year, after which the functional buildings of the service area will be constructed.
　　It is reported that the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area has three 5,000-ton-class berths, one 5,000-ton-class refueling berth, and three workboat berths for navigation mark workboats and waterway survey workboats. The construction of this service area not only marks the first appearance of 5,000-ton-class berth services in the region, but also, with its superior location 16.3 kilometers from Pingtang River Mouth and 11.5 kilometers from the downstream Madao Hub, becomes an important node connecting upstream and downstream.
　　Once completed, the Xinfu Water Comprehensive Service Area will provide functions such as waterway management, vessel and crew services, living supplies, environmental protection services, emergency support and management services, which is of great significance for ensuring the efficient later-stage operation and service management of the Pinglu Canal.
　　The Pinglu Canal is a backbone project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and a landmark project for accelerating the building of a transportation powerhouse. With a total length of 134.2 kilometers, it is built to the standard of a Class I inland waterway, can accommodate 5,000-ton-class vessels, and is designed with an annual one-way throughput capacity of 89 million tons. As the first canal project connecting rivers to the sea built since the founding of New China, the Pinglu Canal has strategic significance for promoting the development of Guangxi and the southwestern region, and also brings new development opportunities to Nanning.
　　A major canal has already revealed its majestic posture. Up to now, the Pinglu Canal has deployed nearly 20,000 builders and more than 6,100 pieces of machinery and equipment, completed a cumulative image investment of approximately 36.64 billion yuan, completed a cumulative earth and rock excavation of 213 million cubic meters, and completed a cumulative concrete pouring of the main body of the ship locks of 1.296 million cubic meters. Bridges along the entire line are mainly undergoing pile foundation and pier column construction; of the 16 temporary traffic-maintenance bridges in total, 12 are open to traffic.
　Nanning Second Ring Expressway expected to be fully connected in 2026
　　Recently, at the construction site of the Shangzheng Youjiang Grand Bridge of the Nanning South Bypass Line (Wuxu Airport to Long'an Extension Section) Highway Project, builders seized the rare construction "window period" of the current season, worked with full vigor, and carried out pile foundation construction for the main piers of the bridge, creating a bustling construction scene on site.
　　Lei Gaofeng, project manager of the general contracting department of the Nanning South Bypass Line (Wuxu Airport to Long'an Extension Section) Highway Project of CCCC Maintenance Group, introduced that the pile foundation of the Shangzheng Youjiang Grand Bridge is as deep as 65 meters. Adjacent to the Youjiang River, navigation must be ensured during construction, making it a controlling project of the project. He stated that the bridge connects Tanluo Town and Jinling Town on both banks. After it is completed and opened to traffic, residents of surrounding villages and towns are expected to save 40 minutes in driving time to access the expressway, which will further accelerate the transportation and circulation of agricultural products and facilitate people's travel.
　　It is reported that the Nanning Second Ring (South Section and Wulong Road Extension Section) Expressway PPP Project is the Nanning South Bypass Line in the "Guangxi Expressway Network Plan (2018-2030)," comprising two sub-projects: the Nanning South Bypass Line (Liujing to Datang Section) Highway Project and the Nanning South Bypass Line (Wuxu Airport to Long'an Extension Section) Highway Project. It is a major project coordinated and advanced at the autonomous region level.
　　Among them, the Nanning South Bypass Line (Liujing to Datang Section) Highway Project starts in Xinfu Town, Hengzhou City, where a T-shaped hub interchange connects to the Binqin Expressway; the route runs westward through Pinglang Town, Zhonghe Town, Nalou Town and Baiji Town; and ends in Datang Town, Liangqing District, where a hub interchange connects to the Lanhai Expressway. The main line has a total length of 52.779 kilometers, a design speed of 120 kilometers per hour, and is built to the standard of a two-way four-lane expressway.
　　The Nanning South Bypass Line (Wuxu Airport to Long'an Extension Section) Highway Project starts in Tanluo Town, Xixiangtang District, where the Tanluo West Hub Interchange connects to the Wulong Expressway and the Guangkun Expressway; the route passes through Tanluo Town, Jinling Town and Dingdang Town; and the endpoint is the Dingdang East Hub Interchange, which connects to the Guibei Expressway. The main line has a total length of 14.347 kilometers, a design speed of 120 kilometers per hour, and is built to the standard of a two-way four-lane expressway; the connecting line starts near the watermelon market in Yiping Village, Shuangding Town, Xixiangtang District, and ends in Natong Town, Long'an County. The route has a total length of 13.28 kilometers, a design speed of 60 kilometers per hour, and is built to the standard of a Class II highway.
　　Wu Yurun, chairman of Guangxi Nanning Second Ring Expressway Co., Ltd., stated that the Nanning South Bypass Line (Wuxu Airport to Long'an Extension Section) Highway Project and the Nanning South Bypass Line (Liujing to Datang Section) Highway Project are expected to be completed and opened to traffic simultaneously in 2026. After completion, the projects will achieve full connection of the Nanning Second Ring Expressway, which is of great significance for Nanning to connect with the Pinglu Canal, integrate into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, accelerate the construction of a new pattern of all-round opening and development featuring "southward connection, northward linkage, eastward integration and westward cooperation," accelerate the building of an important gateway city organically connected to the Belt and Road and a regional international city, and radiate and drive the economy of surrounding counties.
Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway Nanning-Yulin Section to open within the year
　　On July 20, at the track-laying construction site of Yulin North Station of the newly built Nanning-Yulin Railway (hereinafter referred to as the Nanning-Yulin Section of the Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway), more than 80 builders cooperated with each other to lay the last set of steel rails onto the ninth track of the station, marking the completion of track laying along the entire Nanning-Yulin Section of the Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway and laying a solid foundation for opening to traffic within the year.
　　The Nanning-Yulin Section of the Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway is the first high-speed railway with a speed of 350 kilometers per hour independently invested and built by Guangxi, and is an important component of the Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway. The line starts from Nanning East Station of the Nanning hub, runs eastward through Wuhe, Luancheng, Hengzhou and Xingye South to Yulin North Station, with a total length of 193.31 kilometers.
　　Up to now, the main works of the Nanning-Yulin Section of the Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway project, including bridges, tunnels, station buildings and the "four electrics" systems, have all been completed. After the entire line's tracks are laid, the project will accelerate seamless rail welding and fine track adjustment, and carry out static acceptance work along the entire line to prepare for joint commissioning and testing.
　　After the Nanning-Yulin Section of the Nanning-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway is completed and opened to traffic, travel time from Nanning to Yulin will be shortened from the fastest 1 hour and 44 minutes to about 50 minutes. Guangxi will achieve the goal of "high-speed rail in every city," which is of great significance for Guangxi to build an important strategic hinterland of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and promote the "two-bay linkage" between the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
　　In terms of aviation, the Nanning Wuxu Airport expansion and renovation project and the T3 terminal area and supporting facilities construction project are being accelerated. The airport expansion and renovation project is expected to complete the main construction by the end of the year. The T3 terminal area is carrying out construction of the terminal main works, the station-front complex and elevated bridge project, and the apron project. The air traffic control project of the Nanning Wuxu Airport expansion and renovation project has started construction and is expected to be completed next year.
　　Projects under construction are sprinting toward completion, while new projects are starting off. Next, Nanning will solidly carry out the defense work for the Nanning National Comprehensive Freight Hub to supplement and strengthen the chain; strive to complete and put into use the first phase of the Shanglin-Hengxian Highway Project, the Nanning Xinjiang-Chongzuo Fusui project, and the Nanning-Yulin Intercity Railway; continue to provide high-standard services for the construction of the Pinglu Canal (Nanning Section) project, coordinate the completion and delivery of resettlement areas, complete the research on the river-sea intermodal transport layout plan for the Pingtang Port Area of Nanning Port, cooperate in the implementation of the "Three-Year Action Plan for Comprehensive Development of the Pingtang Port Area of Nanning Port (2024-2026)," actively advance the comprehensive development of the Pingtang Port Area, and serve Nanning's goal of "strengthening toward the sea"; and accelerate the preliminary work of projects such as the Nanning (Niuwan) to Guigang 3,000-ton-class waterway project, the Wuxiang Railway Station, the second phase of the Shanglin-Hengxian Highway Project, the Fengling North Road East Extension Expressway (Nanning East Ring to Litang Section), the G325 Nanning-Qinzhou Highway (Nanning Section) and the G322 Wutang-Xinjiang Highway.