Representatives from Jiangsu provincial government and Nantong municipal government announce the commencement of the Haimen-Taicang Expressway's supporting projects construction in Nantong on May 18. [Photo/WeChat account: wxntfb]

Construction of the Haimen-Taicang Expressway's supporting projects commenced in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on May 18.

These supporting projects in Nantong will facilitate the construction of the main part of the Haimen-Taicang Expressway.

With a total investment of 34.301 billion yuan ($5.08 billion), the expressway spans 39.2 kilometers, linking the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway (G40) in Haimen district of Nantong with the Shanghai-Wuhan Expressway (G4221) in Taicang of Suzhou.

A rendering of the river-crossing tunnel along the Haimen-Taicang Expressway. [Photo/WeChat account: wxntfb]

There will be five interchanges and one service center along the two-way, six-lane expressway.

The expressway will include an 11.2-km tunnel that goes under the Yangtze River.

The construction of the expressway is of great importance to implementing the Yangtze River Delta region integration and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, improving regional expressway network, and promoting city cluster construction along Yangtze River.