Building Smart Arteries: Sichuan Accelerates the Digital Upgrading of Highways, Waterways, and Ports

　　On September 14, it was reported that the General Office of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government issued the "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Integration of the 'Three Networks' of the Corridor Network, Logistics Network, and Data Network," deploying 22 key tasks. Hu Houchu, Deputy Director-General of the Provincial Department of Transport, explained in an online interview that by 2026 Sichuan will complete more than 2,000 kilometers of digital upgrading of expressways and more than 1,500 kilometers of digital upgrading of ordinary roads.

　　The related upgrades fall within the construction scope of the "corridor network," with a focus on advancing the digital transformation of the "Great Shu Roads," building digital-intelligent corridors along the G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway and G42 Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, and deploying smart sensing equipment as supporting facilities to achieve real-time collection, dynamic monitoring, and intelligent control of road network data. In terms of water transport, relying on the three-year campaign to "Keep One River Open," Sichuan will advance the construction of "digital waterways" on the Jinsha, Minjiang, Jialing, and Qujiang rivers and enhance the smart capabilities of Luzhou Port and Yibin Port.

　　Through the digital-intelligent upgrading of highways, ports, and waterways, Sichuan will connect physical corridors with digital networks, improve the safety and operational efficiency of trunk freight corridors, support the construction of the western route of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, build a solid infrastructure foundation for the efficient operation of the logistics network, and promote the implementation of a development pattern in which "corridors support logistics and data empowers industry."