China is going to launch the country's first ever "super highway" in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province ahead of the 19th Asian Games in 2022.
The "super highway" is 161 kilometers long, connecting Hangzhou and two other cities, Shaoxing and Ningbo, in the economic zone of Hangzhou Bay along the Qiantang River.
The road boasts that it is a smarter, faster, greener and safer highway. According to the provincial authority on traffic, a comprehensive monitoring and alerting system supported by big data will be built up and applied to the highway to keep the road condition in order. The cooperative data can analyze people, cars and the road simultaneously, which brings about a 20 percent to 30 percent increase in average running speed from the current 90km/h.
Aimed at offering a safer driving environment both to cars and driverless cars, the road will employ in the fault tolerance. All drivers or passengers in cars can benefit from the design to reduce the influence caused by car crashes in part of the road to the minimum.
With regard to the texture, the road will be paved with a photovoltaic system by three layers. On the surface, light transmitting concrete will be used as an efficient channel to take in sunshine for the photovoltaic panels in the middle, where the solar energy is recycled to electricity for traffic lights and electric vehicle chargers. The lower level will be designed as an insulation layer to prevent the panels from being soaked and remaining humid.
The space for the electromagnetic coils will also be reserved for the long term goal - charging while running as the wireless technology is widely used in electric vehicles.
As an example in the country, the highway is focused more on safety and assures drivers of 24/7 safe and fast passing. In the long run, zero death can be expected on the road, said the traffic authority.
