Xi'an's first green smart highway, equipped with smart streetlights, debuts with a full range of "black tech"

Under the autumn sun, green trees and red roads complement each other, flanked by pastoral scenery. Just before National Day, with the completion and opening of the upgrading and reconstruction project of Provincial Highway 107 (Guanzhong Ring Line), Xi'an's familiar Huanshan Road has taken on a new look, creating an atmosphere where "cars travel on the road, and people wander through a painting." This is Xi'an's first green smart highway—take advantage of the National Day holiday to experience it.

Spanning 20 kilometers, integrating green and smart technologies

With the rapid development of the regional economy in Xi'an and eco-tourism in the Qinling Mountains, traffic volume on the mountain-ring highway has been increasing year by year, necessitating further improvements in intelligence, convenience, and comfort. To this end, the Xi'an Municipal Transportation Bureau has boldly innovated by introducing information technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) into the upgrading and renovation project of Provincial Highway 107 (Guanzhong Ring Line). The project incorporates smart bus shelters, intelligent meeting-vehicle warning systems, smart crosswalks, smart light poles, and a BIM platform to create a smart highway.

The project is located within Chang'an District, starting at the Taiyi Palace intersection and ending at the Xitai Road branch line. With a total length of 20.401 kilometers, it was fully completed and opened to traffic in late September, becoming Xi'an's first smart highway.

Following the new construction concept of perfectly integrating "smart technology" with "green ecology," this renovation and upgrade project comprehensively considers the natural and cultural factors along the mountain-circling highway. It incorporates functions such as greening design, water system restoration, landscape nodes, and leisurely slow-traffic pathways, merging the city with nature and organically integrating elements including highways, greenways, smart cities, ecological protection, and Qinling culture.

Green: Add greenery and flowers to create a countryside-style greenway

On the morning of the 29th, east of the roundabout on Huanshan Road at Fengyu Pass, a Huashang Daily reporter observed that the slow traffic lane here had been fully renovated. The red pavement is neat and aesthetically pleasing, complementing the green bus lanes and framed by rows of lush trees along Huanshan Road, creating a particularly beautiful scene known as an ecological corridor.

According to the on-site project manager, this upgrade and renovation prioritizes "green" initiatives by utilizing existing non-motorized vehicle lanes to build a greenway slow-traffic system. This system connects urban and rural recreational and leisure green open spaces based on natural elements, forming a suburban-style greenway primarily for recreation and fitness while also supporting citizens' green commuting. The inner median strips were renovated by adding vegetation such as crape myrtle, red-tip photinia balls, and red maples to enhance greenery and floral displays, enriching the vertical landscape of the medians. Three ecological corridors were created by converting box culverts in areas with frequent biological activity. These corridors feature amphibious environments that allow organisms to forage, spawn, reproduce, and migrate. The corridor floors simulate original ecological materials by laying soil, stones, fallen leaves, and dead branches.

Meanwhile, the median strips with curbs are replaced with artificial granite material, and precast concrete curbs are used for roadside edging. The landscaping in the median strips adopts a low-profile design to achieve "flowers in three seasons and evergreen foliage in all four," without obstructing passengers' views of the scenery on both sides. This creates an immersive experience of "vehicles traveling along the road, people wandering through a painting," placing travelers amidst a sea of flowers to appreciate the beauty of the floral avenue at the foot of Mount Zhongnan.

Smart: The lamppost can charge electric vehicles, and the "fresh-style" bus shelter seats can self-heat

Why is it called a smart highway? Because this road integrates numerous intelligent technologies. It enhances the convenience and comfort of public travel, achieving the goals of green, smart, and happy, safe mobility.

　　“这里有5G智慧灯杆，目前建成了3个，预计全线铺开。”现场工程负责人介绍说，这个灯杆功能非常多，可实现智能照明控制、故障自动报警、视频监控、LED屏信息显示、环境监测等多项智能应用。灯杆位置还能实现无线5Gwifi热点覆盖，为群众提供免费的网络服务。搭载多种传感器，用于监测风向、风速、温湿度、PM2.5和噪音等，实现对道路环境和气象的智能监测。高清电子屏可及时发布道路、旅游、气象以及其他紧急事故信息。更实用的是，灯杆靠近路面一侧有充电接口，可通过手机APP，随时在公路辅道为电动汽车充电。

Another major highlight is the smart bus shelter. The Xi'an Municipal Transportation Bureau introduced smart bus shelters at bus stops such as the Fengyu Huanshan Roundabout Station through the implementation of the Provincial Road 107 upgrade and renovation project.

The smart bus shelter features a cyan-green color scheme, complemented by white for a "fresh and clean" aesthetic. A Huashang Daily reporter observed on-site that the shelter's screen not only displays station information but also shows vehicle locations, allowing passengers to predict arrival times. The seats are equipped with self-heating functionality, providing a warm sensation when seated, eliminating concerns about cold seats in winter.

It is understood that the smart bus shelter integrates nine major functions. Information dissemination: timely release of weather forecasts, road conditions, and scenic spot information via video, images, and text. Real-time bus updates: equipped with intelligent electronic bus stop signs that alternately display route information and arrival times in real time. Voice announcements: provides audio alerts for bus arrivals to citizens. 5G network coverage: achieves full coverage of smart bus shelters, offering free high-speed internet services to the public. Video surveillance: comprehensively monitors the bus shelter, vehicles, and personnel entry/exit, enabling multi-level platform and data sharing to lay the foundation for future pilot applications of autonomous driving. One-touch alarm: enables real-time voice and video connection for rapid response and handling of emergencies. Mobile phone charging: equipped with USB charging ports to provide 24/7 fast charging services for pedestrians. Self-heating seats: automatically adjust temperature based on ambient conditions, providing warmth during winter waits. Real-time QR code: scanning the QR code via WeChat displays information on smart transportation infrastructure, surrounding traffic conditions, transfer stations, and tourist attractions.

Safety: Smart intersection warning systems and smart crosswalks

Moreover, this road features an intelligent meeting-vehicle warning system. At the intersection at the entrance of Shangwang Village, intelligent meeting-vehicle warning devices are installed. A Huashang Daily reporter noted that when vehicles exit Shangwang Village, the LED display on the main road of Huanshan Road turns red to signal a warning, reminding drivers to exercise caution when meeting other vehicles. It is understood that six such warning systems have been installed at key intersections, using radar vehicle detectors as the vehicle information collection unit and LED displays as the warning devices to alert approaching traffic on branch (or main) lines, thereby improving intersection safety.

There are also smart crosswalks here. When pedestrians cross, the lights on the crosswalk illuminate to alert vehicles. It is reported that smart crosswalks use sound and light elements to provide timely safety warnings about surrounding traffic conditions, thereby effectively regulating pedestrian and vehicle behavior to ensure smooth and safe traffic flow.

Source: Huashang Network - Huashang Daily