New Development Bank Loan for the Guiyang Urban-Rural Integration Smart Transportation Demonstration Project

Project Overview:

The New Development Bank is providing a loan for the Guiyang Urban-Rural Integration Smart Transportation Demonstration Project, which is located in Guanshanhu District, Guiyang City. With a total investment of 3.828 billion yuan, this project represents a major infrastructure and digital integration demonstration initiative jointly planned and implemented by the Guiyang Municipal People's Government and strategically financed by the New Development Bank. The project closely aligns with the nation’s coordinated development strategies of “New-Type Urbanization” and “Rural Revitalization,” with the core objective of promoting high-quality urban-rural integration. It aims to build an integrated, modern transportation system underpinned by smart transportation infrastructure, driven by data as a key resource, and characterized by green and low-carbon principles. Through the implementation of this project, the barriers between urban and rural areas—often referred to as the dualistic structure—will be effectively broken down, facilitating two-way flows of vital factors such as talent, capital, information, and technology between urban and rural regions.

The project’s construction scope covers four core components: First, the implementation of an upgrade and renovation project for the 33.6-kilometer-long Xiaokang Road around Baihua Lake, which includes the construction of seven bridges along the route—among them the Baihua Lake Supermajor Bridge (a partially cable-stayed bridge with twin towers and double cable planes, featuring main spans of 100+180+100 meters)—as well as five viewing platforms. Second, the construction of a 45.9-kilometer-long tourism highway and a slow-travel system within the Baihua Lake Wetland Park, featuring a scientifically arranged network of 13 tourist rest stops and 9 viewing platforms along the route, including one pedestrian suspension bridge with a main span of 165 meters. The total length of bridges along the entire route is approximately 10 kilometers. Third, a smart systems engineering initiative aimed at establishing a “1+1+N” smart engineering system framework, thereby creating a new type of Baihua Lake tourism experience characterized by “6+New.” Fourth, institutional capacity-building efforts designed to ensure the smooth implementation of the project, enhance project management capabilities, strengthen overall capacity development, and guarantee the project’s long-term sustainable operation.

Project Highlights:

1. The complexity of collaborative design in multi-disciplinary systems

As a systematic project integrating transportation, ecology, tourism, and smart technologies, this initiative presents significant complexity in terms of multidisciplinary collaboration, involving numerous fields such as roads, bridges, landscaping, and smart equipment. Faced with the challenge of cross-disciplinary integration, the project has adopted joint design across multiple domains and ensured technical coordination throughout the entire project lifecycle, thereby strengthening the seamless connection among different specialties and enhancing data integration. In particular, during the critical bridge design phase, the project achieved simultaneous design of structural, landscape, and smart elements, harmoniously balancing safety, environmental considerations, aesthetics, and functionality to attain an organic integration of engineering and nature.

2. Planning and Design Strategies Prioritizing Ecological Conservation

This project is located in the Baihua Lake area, an important water source region in Guiyang City, where ecological protection requirements are extremely stringent. The design strictly adheres to the management regulations for water source protection zones and involves joint special surveys conducted by multiple departments to identify ecologically sensitive areas as well as key regions such as basic farmland. Guided by the principles of “prioritizing avoidance and minimizing intervention,” the project adopts a series of measures—including optimizing route alignments to avoid core protection zones, constructing elevated walkways and bridges (approximately 10 kilometers of walkways and bridges for non-motorized traffic) to reduce ecological fragmentation, implementing eco-friendly designs at intersections and establishing wildlife crossings, and building a fully enclosed sewage collection system—to significantly reduce disturbance to the lake’s ecosystem and effectively balance engineering construction with ecological conservation.

3. The Balancing Act Between Affordability and Quality Enhancement

The project design strictly adheres to the principles of "prudent resource conservation, convenience and benefit for the people, and economic rationality," continuously promoting optimization and refinement of the plan at each stage. By optimizing route alignments, selecting appropriate technical standards, prioritizing locally sourced materials, and promoting resource recycling, we have achieved significant cost reductions in construction while ensuring high-quality engineering and functional performance. Both the smart systems and service facilities adopt a modular and scalable architecture, leaving ample room for future upgrades. Overall, this approach achieves an organic integration of economy, practicality, and sustainability.

4. A perfect synergy of scenic beauty and travel, enhanced by intelligent touches.

The project’s landscape design deeply integrates the natural beauty of Baihua Lake with local cultural heritage, creating a multi-layered viewing experience system. Both rest stops and viewing platforms are strategically located at prime vantage points—there are 13 rest stops and 14 viewing platforms along the entire route, achieving a seamless integration of road and scenery. The design incorporates elements of traditional ethnic architecture, ensuring that each node not only reflects cultural characteristics but also boasts visual appeal. Smart facilities are seamlessly integrated with the landscape, balancing functionality, ecological sustainability, and aesthetic appeal to create an integrated tourism and transportation corridor that highlights Guiyang’s unique urban charm.

5. Deep integration of regional characteristics with the overall project.

The project’s design deeply integrates the regional cultural essence of Baihua Lake, systematically establishing a cultural exhibition system anchored by rest stops and viewing platforms. By cleverly incorporating ethnic architectural elements such as Miao stilt houses and Dong drum towers, as well as local symbols like the Qianbei residential style and Miao silver ornament patterns, each node serves as a window showcasing the historical and cultural heritage of “the Pearl of Miaoling.” Smart facilities are seamlessly combined with cultural elements, providing modern service functions while preserving and revitalizing local cultural memory. Together, these components create an integrated tourism and travel experience space that boasts both cultural depth and contemporary vitality.

Project Showcase: