Tolls apply as of Dayangfang near the Eastern 5th Ring Road in Beijing until the / exit. The expressway uses a networked toll system across all jurisdictions and is managed by Huabei Expressways.
Route
The Jingjintang Expressway runs through the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as Hebei province.
Basic Route: Beijing - Langfang - Tianjin .
Status: The entire expressway is complete.
History
The expressway opened on September 25, 1993, and was the first express to be built to more recent standards.
This expressway has slashed driving time from Beijing to Tianjin to around one hour, and has created a corridor between Beijing and Tianjin.
Accidents
The poor safety facilities and high traffic casualty figures make this expressway in the minds of many drivers a "death road".
On October 19, 2004, seven vehicles involved in three accidents plunged into each other in early morning fog, killing two and injuring many more on the stretch of expressway from Beijing to Tianjin, at the stretch between Majuqiao and Caiyu.
Portions under Construction or Projection
With a history of over ten years, the expressway is beginning to feel the crunch of massive traffic, especially the incessant onslaught of heavy lorries. As a result, at least two other expressways linking Beijing to Tianjin are planned.
A variation of the proposed routes leaves Beijing heading toward Pinggu District, and links with the Jinji Expressway.
Road Conditions
Speed Limit
Uniform maximum speed limit of 110 km/h outside of Beijing; Beijing section now only 90 km/h. However, the Beijing section from Fenzhongsi through Shibalidian has a mixed speed limit of 70 km/h or 80 km/h .
Tolls
Tolls apply for the stretch east of Dayangfang until .
Lanes
4 lanes , with emergency belt. ''Exception:'' Beginnings in Beijing has 6 lanes .
Surface Conditions
Drivable; a few portions need more maintenance. Portion from central Tianjin to Tanggu seems to be worn down at occasional times.
Traffic
Poor; in the case of traffic accidents, very poor.
Major Exits
Fenzhongsi, Dayangfang, Majuqiao, Caiyu, Langfang, Yangcun, Yixingbu, Central Tianjin, Tianjin Airport, Tanggu
Service Areas
Majuqiao, Xuguantun, Dongli.
Connections
Ring Roads of Beijing: Connects with the SW 3rd Ring Road at Fenzhongsi, the SW 4th Ring Road at Shibalidian, the SW 5th Ring Road at Dayangfang and the SW 6th Ring Road at Majuqiao.
Jinghu Expressway: Connects with the Jinghu Expressway at Yixingbu.
Jinji Expressway: Connects with the newly-opened Jinji Expressway at Central Tianjin exit .
: Connects at Yixingbu.
From the "Golden Expressway" to the "Road of Death"
Upon its completion, the PRC authorities and state media spared the least of efforts in trumpeting the creation of the Jingjintang Expressway, promoting it to the bitter end, and creating an illusion that the expressway was ''it'' in the PRC's expressway world. As a result of this widespread promotion, the expressway was known as the "golden expressway".
In November 2004, however, things looked very different. Incessant traffic jams, breakdowns, and chaos on the expressway earned it a more popular nickname -- the "road of death".
The very problem lies within the expressway itself -- massive traffic. The expressway was designed for a traffic audience of 50,000 vehicles a day -- and apparently, not a vehicle more, as the current average of 59,000 vehicles a day is stretching the expressway to its limits. Meanwhile, during periods of high use, 130,000 vehicles are reported to be using the expressway -- ''per day''.
Compounding the problem is a very narrow hard shoulder, and the lack of emergency bays. Compound that with fog in the southeastern Beijing section, and no lights at night outside of the 4th Ring Road , and one understands why the label "road of death" sticks so well to the expressway today.
Problems with the Expressway
China was a different country back in 1993, when the expressway first opened. For a start, there were fewer drivers, and traffic -- especially expressway traffic -- was less of a problem. Therefore, when the expressway opened in September 1993, it could cope rather well with just two lanes in one direction -- for over a hundred kilometres.
Things changed in the late 1990s. Private citizens could apply for driver's licences with greater ease, and traffic as a whole increased on PRC roads. The situation on the expressway in 2004, therefore, is different from that of 1993.
A 2004 traffic jam -- or traffic disturbance -- that upset just one lane , would upset the entire expressway. Traffic would begin to pile up for kilometres and hours on end. The relative lack of exits could further compound the problem.
As it forms a vital corridor for traffic from Tianjin and Tanggu, the expressway is often full of lorries. Two lorries overtaking each other would shrink average speed limits for the car following behind considerably -- from the legal 110 km/h down to approximately 80 km/h or sometimes even 60 km/h.
The expressway today, therefore, is not just a corridor for ''traffic'', but also potentially one for traffic ''problems''.
List of Exits
Symbols: ↗ = exit , ? = closed exit, ? = main interchange; ? = central toll gate; S = service area
Beijing Section
Listed are exits heading southeast as of Beijing
? '''' Fenzhongsi
? '''' Nansihuan
? 2: Dayangfang, Jiugong'' -- exit disused as of 2002 and in effect replaced by 5th Ring Road''
? '''' 5th Ring Road
? Dayangfang
S Majuqiao
? 3: Majuqiao,
? 4: '''' , Caiyu
Hebei Section
Listed are exits heading southeast as of the jurisdictional boundary with Beijing
↗ 5: Langfang
Tianjin Section
Listed are exits heading southeast as of the jurisdictional boundary with Hebei/Tianjin
? 7: '''' Hexiwu, Yangcun
S Xuguantun
? 8: '''' Yixingbu
? 9: '''' Lutai, Tianjin City
''↗'' Tianjin Airport
S Dongli
? ''''
? Tanggu
↗ Tanggu
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