China to build 7,400 km 'Golden Outer Ring Road' with $55 billion investment
According to the Ministry of Transport, China plans to build or upgrade about 7,400 kilometres of its "Golden Outer Ring Road" during the 15th Five‑Year Plan period (2026–2030), with total investment of 370 billion yuan (about $55.05 billion).
Infrastructure has always been a driver of development, but when it comes to 7,400 kilometres of roads linking borders and coastlines, it becomes a strategic project that reshapes entire regions. The "Golden Outer Ring" is not just asphalt and bridges. It is new routes for tourism, opportunities for small businesses in remote villages, shorter travel times and ultimately greater national unity. Every kilometre of such a road is an investment in people, their mobility and quality of life.
The ring road, formed by three national highways — G219, G228 and G331 — will connect China's border and coastal areas, creating a unified national transport corridor once completed. Recently, the southern half of the Donggang Grand Bridge, a key project on the G228 national highway in Fujian Province, was closed. The 3,920‑metre bridge crosses the Donggang sea area in Fuqing, eastern China, connecting Jiangjing and Jiangyin. It is expected to be completed and opened to traffic by the end of the year.
"The completion of the Donggang Grand Bridge fills the sea gap on the G228 section in Fujian, meaning vehicles no longer have to detour 10 kilometres around the bay. This further improves the coastal road network, connects cities and industrial parks along the line, helps form a 'half‑hour transport ring' between Fuqing, Fuzhou's Binhai New City, the urban agglomeration and Pingtan, and facilitates efficient movement and logistics," said Zhong Yongfeng, Deputy Director of the Chief Engineer's Office at the Fujian Provincial Highway Development Centre.
The G228 section in Fujian is 1,250 kilometres long, with 232 kilometres under construction. It is expected to be fully connected by 2029. Meanwhile, the G331 section from Tongjiang-Suibin border to Suibin in northeast China is undergoing reconstruction and expansion. "I've long heard from friends that the scenery along G331 is beautiful. I'm looking forward to taking a road trip with my parents or friends after completion to enjoy the magnificent landscapes of our motherland," said Chen Mengmeng, a local resident of Hegang.
Currently, 472 kilometres of G331 are under construction in Heilongjiang Province. Thirty transport‑tourism infrastructure projects, including rest areas, parking lots and viewing platforms, are being planned or built simultaneously. The highway is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2027.
The Golden Outer Ring is more than a logistics project. It integrates border regions, creates a transport framework for resource development and boosts tourism. During the 15th Five‑Year Plan, authorities aim not only to build roads but also to optimise spatial planning, unblock key economic arteries and promote balanced regional development. "We will not just launch projects but optimise spatial planning, unblock the main arteries of economic movement and promote balanced regional development," said Wu Zhihua, Deputy Director of the Department of Comprehensive Planning at the Ministry of Transport.
As CCTV+ reports, the Golden Outer Ring Road will be the largest infrastructure project of the 15th Five‑Year Plan, linking coastlines and borders while boosting tourism, small businesses and logistics. By 2030, China will have a unified transport corridor that makes remote regions more accessible and strengthens the country's economic unity.
