Qingdao thrives as hub of urban development

The coastline of Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Action plan sees successful completion of major citywide projects

Since the beginning of 2022, Qingdao in East China's Shandong province has improved the quality of urban functions and gained recognition from residents in accordance with its three-year action plan to comprehensively revamp and renovate.

Over the past two years, Qingdao has focused on 10 key areas including the protection and renewal of urban historical zones, low-efficiency land development and transport infrastructure. The city has launched 2,157 projects, 1,314 of which have been completed.

Qingdao has started construction on major transport infrastructure projects such as the Jiaozhou Bay second tunnel and Chongqing Road Expressway, and is making breakthroughs in the renovation of urban villages.

The city has integrated urban renewal with the development of the real economy and is building emerging industrial parks in low-efficiency lands. Over the past two years, Qingdao has implemented 135 infrastructure projects with a total investment of 421 billion yuan ($58.9 billion).

Key projects include the central section of the Jinan-Qingdao Expressway, and the expansion and reconstruction of the Qingdao-Lanzhou Expressway (Shuangbu to Hetao section), which alleviates traffic congestion between the main urban area and Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport. The Mingcun to Dongjiakou Highway, which runs north-south in Qingdao, will be completed and put into use later this year. The construction of the fast track from Langu to the Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, which connects the east and west, is also in full swing.

The city has started construction of more than 20 main roads and completed projects such as the interchange of Hailu-Yinchuan Road, the widening of Nanjing Road and the transformation of Fuzhou South Road. Nearly 60 dead-end roads have been connected, making the city's road network more accessible. The operating length of the subway in Qingdao has reached 318 kilometers, ranking 10th in the country.

The Guanlu Reservoir, the long-anticipated strategic water diversion project, has commenced construction. After completion, its total reservoir capacity will reach 210 million cubic meters, fundamentally solving the city's water shortage problem.