Tibetannet

It was learned that the 105-kilometer highroad from Miyaluo Township to Markam City of Ngawa Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province a part of the Wenchuan-Markam Highway will be open to traffic by the end of December this year.

The Wenchuan-Markam Highway is built on plateau, where complicated geological structure, climate and large temperature differences between day and night add much difficulty to the construction, and 86.5％ of the road will be connected by bridges and tunnels.

"Basically, we can't carry out construction outdoors between October to the end of March," said Tian Keqing, chief engineer of the C21 section of the Wenchuan-Markam Highway.

Despite these difficulties, construction on this section is fundamentally complete since it was started in January 2015.

"I've been here for three years. I spend the whole year on the construction site, except for a few days during the Spring Festival when I go home. Now it's very fulfilling," said Tian Keqing as he looked at the construction team who are working to finish the project. "This expressway has had a profound impact on me. I think that when I retire, I will definitely come back here."

After the Miyaluo to Markam section being open at the end of December this year, it will shorten the time from Chengdu to Markam from a five and a half or six hour trip to four and a half or five hours, playing an important role in promoting the economy, culture, tourism, and poverty alleviation in Markam and even Ngawa Prefecture.

"When it opens, Chengdu citizens will be able to have lunch in Chengdu at noon and at night, be in Markam for dancing circle dance and experiencing Gyarong Tibetan customs," said Rinchen Norkyi, deputy director of the transport administration bureau of Markam.