(TibetanReview.net, May17’21) – China said May 16 that it had completed on May 15 the building of a new highway passing through the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, known as the world’s deepest canyon with a maximum depth of 6,009 metres. It marked the opening of a new strategic road to Medog County which borders the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The project took almost seven years to complete, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency May 17.
The report said a 2,114-meter tunnel was dug through on May 15 morning, marking the completion of the major construction of the 67.22-km road connecting Pad Township in the city of Nyingchi and Medog County.
The project was stated to have been built by the China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. which started it in 2014, with an estimated investment of over 2 billion yuan (about US $310 million).
The road was stated to have been built on the former hiking route between Nyingchi’s Pad Township and Baibung Township, Medog County, with an altitude difference of up to 2,892 meters between the highest and lowest spots of the road.
This is the second significant passageway to Medog, following the first one connecting the county and Zhamog Township, Bomi County.
The report said that after the new highway opens to traffic, the road length connecting the city proper of Nyingchi and Medog County will be shortened to 180 km from 346 km, cutting travel time by eight hours.
