At Xiaohe Port in Yicheng, Xiangyang, Hubei Province, a bustling scene unfolds as cargo ships queue up to enter the harbor, with tower cranes efficiently loading and unloading goods. Photo by Yang Dong, the Chief Journalist of the All-media, and Li Feng, the Correspondent

Xiangyang Daily (Shen Mingjing, the All-media Journalist, and Li Ling, the Correspondent) On October 31, during a press conference, Zhao Qing, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Chief Engineer of the Xiangyang Municipal Transportation Bureau, announced that significant progress has been made in building a comprehensive “rail-water-road-air” transportation network in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period. The revitalization of the Hanshui River’s “Golden Waterway” is accelerating, positioning Xiangyang as the first city in Hubei Province to ensure that every county (or city) has access to at least two expressways. Furthermore, high-speed rail connectivity has been largely achieved across all counties.

Zhao Qing stated that since the commencement of the “14th Five-Year Plan,” Xiangyang has focused on “unblocking corridors, strengthening hubs, addressing weaknesses, optimizing connectivity, and enhancing momentum.” By leveraging its strengths while rectifying deficiencies, Xiangyang has strengthened coordination and synergy among various transportation modes, streamlined nodal connections, and consolidated its position as a national comprehensive transportation hub. This strategic approach has ultimately provided robust support for residents’ travel needs and regional economic development.

Railway construction has advanced rapidly. The Xiangyang section of the Hohhot-Nanning High-speed Railway (Xiangyang-Jingmen High-speed Railway) opened on September 28, strongly supporting the coordinated development of the “Wuhan-Xiangyang-Yichang” golden triangle. This advancement has enabled Xiangyang to establish a comprehensive railway network characterized by “four vertical and three horizontal” lines, effectively achieving high-speed rail connectivity for all counties. Meanwhile, dedicated port railway lines for the Xiaohe Port Area and Xiangyang Tangqing Logistics Co., Ltd. are being actively planned and promoted. These initiatives are accelerating the development of integrated road-rail and rail-water intermodal transport systems.

Breakthroughs have been made in expressway construction. With the openings of the Zaoyang–Qianjiang Expressway, the Southern Section of the Ring Expressway, and the Xiangyang–Nanzhang Expressway, the total expressway mileage in Xiangyang has reached 829 kilometers, positioning it second in Hubei Province. The expressway network characterized by “three verticals, two horizontals, one ring, and two branches” has begun to take shape. Notably, Xiangyang is the first city in Hubei Province to ensure that every county (or city) is connected to at least two expressways. Additionally, with an outer expressway ring measuring 108 kilometers within its central urban area, Xiangyang has become the second city in Hubei Province to feature both inner and outer rapid rings. Looking ahead, with plans for expanding the Fuzhou–Yinchuan Expressway and the Erenhot–Guangzhou Expressway as well as initiating construction on several new routes—including the Pingdingshan-Yichang Expressway (Xiangyang section)—Xiangyang aims to establish a comprehensive expressway backbone network comprising “five verticals, three horizontals, one ring, and multiple branches” by 2030.

The quality of arterial highways has significantly improved. The Xiangyang sections of National Highways 207 and 316 have been fully upgraded to first-class highway standards, providing robust support for the coordinated development of towns and industries. Currently, the total mileage of national and provincial highways in Xiangyang reaches 2,839 kilometers, effectively connecting all counties (or cities) and townships. This achievement fulfills the objective of ensuring that “all townships are accessible by secondary or higher-grade roads.” Moving forward, efforts will focus on continuously upgrading lower-grade sections and constructing bypasses for routes traversing urban areas. The aim is to increase the proportion of secondary and higher-grade roads within national and provincial highways to over 95% by 2030.

Waterway development is accelerating. The navigability of the Hanshui River’s “Golden Waterway” continues to improve. The waterway regulation project for the Danjiangkou to Xiangyang section has commenced, and the channel downstream of the First Bridge of the Hanshui River in Xiangyang now meets the 1,000-ton standard. The construction of the Hanshui River and Xiang-Gui Canal inland shipping corridor is in full swing. The second-line ship lock project at the Yakou Hub on the Hanshui River has officially commenced construction. The second-line ship lock project at the Cuijiaying Hub is scheduled to begin within the year, and preparatory work for the second-line ship lock project at the Wangfuzhou Hub is currently underway. The Tangbai River navigation development project is accelerating. Port construction is also speeding up, with the Xiaohe Port Area now operational, the Chenbu operation area comprehensive port under rapid construction, and the first phase of the Liuji Operation Area in the Tangbai River Port Area about to commence. The goal is to achieve 2,000-ton navigability downstream of Xiangyang on the Hanshui River and a total port throughput capacity exceeding 15 million tons by 2030.

Civil aviation development is enhancing its quality and efficiency. Currently, Xiangyang Liuji Airport has achieved a 4D flight zone classification. During the summer-autumn season of 2025, it operated 22 domestic routes connecting to 32 cities, effectively covering all municipalities, provincial capitals, and sub-provincial cities nationwide. Furthermore, construction has commenced on Zaoyang General Airport, with the aim of better accommodating general aviation needs.