This year, Hangzhou initiated the largest road leveling project in recent ten years, covering 80 roads in main urban area. They are paved with pitch again, and anti-subsidence manhole covers are replaced. In the beginning of July, the renovation of most roads was completed, and this project was near its end.

What is the standard to improve these roads? Jiangnan Avenue of Binjiang District is a representative road among them. On 13 Jul., the journalist went to Jiangnan Avenue and experienced this “avenue of greeting guests” after renovation. “Jiangnan Avenue is the main stem in Binjiang, and we have conducted renovation according to the standards for avenues of greeting guests. There is no great change on the surface, but more attention is paid to details and comfort level on the premise of maintaining the original characteristics in this renovation,” said Zhu Jun (Deputy Chief Engineer of Binjiang Urban Construction Headquarters and Leader of Jiangnan Avenue Pavement Reconstruction and Renovation Project).

Jiangnan Avenue is “No. 1” among roads in Binjiang. As a dual three-lane carriageway of 10 kilometers, with 15 traffic lights, it starts from Xixing Overpass in the east and reaches Qianjiang Bridge in the west. It almost goes over Binjiang from east to west. The length of this pavement reconstruction and renovation section is about 8.9 kilometers, from Xixing Overpass to Dongxin Avenue.

The first difficulty of renovation comes to 836 manhole covers in the renovation section of 8.9 kilometers. During road leveling, the elevation of these manhole covers must be measured one by one, and they should be positioned in the same horizontal plane with the roadside gutter apron. Moreover, anti-subsidence treatment should be conducted. On 4 Jan., the construction team began to measure the elevation of manhole covers, from Xixing Overpass and Dongxin Avenue to the middle. “If the road surface becomes deformed in use, the manhole covers can also keep pace with the road surface after this anti-subsidence treatment. No sinking or protruding will happen.” Zhu Jun said that any sinking or protruding would result in discomfort during travelling.

Measurement for the elevation of the 836 manhole covers had been completed till 4 Mar., and anti-subsidence treatment had been conducted. “We had to measure the well elevation one by one. Moreover, the elevation of one well should be measured for three times,” said Zhu Jun. When the pavement was removed and it was paved with pitch, the elevation should be measured again. If any problems occur, they must be reworked. As for the second difficulty, the traffic flow on Jiangnan Avenue is high. During recent years, various houses near Jiangnan Avenue have been delivered one after another, and more and more people begin to live here. Besides, Zhijiang Bridge was completed, so more and more cars going to the airport will choose Jiangnan Avenue. As a result, Jiangnan Avenue bears a high traffic pressure. The following data can illustrate this situation. In 2005, only about 350 cars passed one cross section of Jiangnan Avenue every hour, but now it increases to about 2,000 cars, rising by nearly 6 times.

“The construction of Jiangnan Avenue will cause a big pressure to traffic in Binjiang.” Therefore, most road asphalt paving work had to be done from 21:00 to 6:00 in the morning, and the team needed to work through the night. “Construction is conducted from one section to another section, and the traffic is restored at 6:00, so as to minimize the influence on traffic.”

According to the duty table observed by the journalist in Binjiang Urban Construction Headquarters, during the 34 days from 27 Feb. to 3 Jun., 3 operators on duty had to supervise the construction and coordinate relevant matters at the night construction site every day. As Project Leader, Zhu Jun worked overnight for 15 days. He said that the road surface of 18 kilometers should have been completed in 10 days, but it was rainy this year. “We could not work during rainy days, so this project lasted for more than one month.”

The “appearance” of Jiangnan Avenue has been improved. This project not only covered road leveling but also involved road greening and brightening of buildings at both sides. On Jiangnan Avenue at night, the lamps in 68 buildings and green belts along the line will be turned on. Under the dark sky, light and shade present an extraordinary splendor. “The lamps on Jiangnan Avenue will be turned on by fully obeying the principle of maximum using for landscape lamplight and internal penetrance light of modern buildings,” said a worker of Binjiang Urban Management Bureau. In this way, a uniform, orderly, beautiful and scattered effect has been realized for night scene lamplights in Binjiang.

(Original source: The 4th Edition of Zhejiang Daily on 15 Jul.)