During the three day vacation, the family went to Lin’an, the mountain area near Hangzhou. We used the G60 (Shanghai – Hangzhou) expressway on our way there, and used a new expressway S16 (Hangzhou – Pudong) Expressway back. Let me give you a quick overview of the new S16 Hangzhou – Pudong Expressway.
The new expressway 杭浦高速 is basically parallel to the old Shanghai – Hangzhou Expressway 沪杭高速. They both start from Hangzhou at basically the same place (about 5 km away from each other at the intersection of Hangzhou Ring Expressway (G2501), and extend to the Shanghai direction. The G60 (Shanghai – Hangzhou Expressway) is a little bit northward (1 o’clock direction), and the S16 is on the south (2 o’clock direction).
The G60 is very strait forward – it starts from Hangzhou and goes all the way to the Xinzhuang Intersection 上海莘庄立交.
The Hangzhou Pudong Expressway is more complicated. At the very beginning, it is called S16 (according to the numbering system in Zhejiang province). At the same time, it is also called G92 – the Hangzhou Ring Expressway of the National Highway System. It is common that a section of an expressway has more than one numbering system these days. Then, at the intersection of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge (The newly built bridge going cross the Hangzhou Bay, a long one), it is called G15 (The Shenyang to Haikou Expressway). The interesting part about that big intersection is, the east bound, and south bound roads are called G15, and the west bound, and north bound road is called G92.
After that intersection, as I explained, it continued to be called G15 until it gets to a new big intersection near Jinshan. The G15 continued to turn northward and follow the original A5. The S4 will pickup the road of original G15 (Hangzhou – Pudong Expressway) eastward. That S4 will finally end up at the Xinzhuang Interchange, and merge with G60.
Hi Jian Shuo
Just wondering why Chinese experssways do not have numbers for Exits instead of just the names of towns. Isn’t it more convienient to keep track of your location with a number system than trying to remember town names?
CM
They do have number for exit, but they are not shown in the main direction board. Maybe it is just because of traditional reasons. It may takes time for people to get used to it, just as people did for the numbered expressway. At the end of the day, it is the people who use it decide what is the best way.
Even in the States, people use both numbered, and exit. We can also argue that named exits are easier than numbered one, if we want to argue that way, just like people prefer city name, not numbers. People say: “I am going to Shanghai”, not “I am going to 21”.
it is the people who use it decide what is the best way.