Where does the Ya-Ye Expressway run from and to?
4 Answers
The Ya-Ye Expressway runs from Ya'an in Sichuan Province to Yecheng in Xinjiang. It is one of the east-west horizontal routes in China's national expressway network and is classified as a long-term prospective route. The expressway primarily passes through the following regions: Ya'an, Tianquan, Luding, Kangding, Litang, Markam, Baxoi, Nyingchi, Lhasa, Shigatse, Gar, and Yecheng, spanning three provincial-level administrative regions: Sichuan Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Ya-Ye Expressway serves as a vital corridor connecting the Chengdu Plain with the Ganzi Tibetan area and further extending to Tibet. After its opening, the travel time from Chengdu to Kangding was reduced to just three and a half hours, nearly half the previous duration. To prevent driver fatigue during prolonged tunnel driving, the Ya-Kang Expressway section implements alarm sirens in the Erlangshan Tunnel and Laba River Tunnel Group during key daily periods (12:00-14:00 and 1:00-5:00 AM) to forcibly enhance driver alertness.
I've driven on the Ya-Ye Expressway twice. This highway is actually a major expressway connecting Ya'an in Sichuan to Yecheng in Xinjiang, with a total length of nearly 4,000 kilometers. Last year, I set off from Chengdu in an SUV. When passing through Kangding, the snow-capped mountains were right outside the window. The section near Litang reaches an altitude of nearly 4,000 meters, so you have to drive slower. The most thrilling part was the stretch from Xinduqiao to Batang—lots of curves but absolutely stunning scenery. A reminder for self-driving friends: watch out for altitude sickness, switch to snow tires in winter, and fill up your tank in advance since gas stations are few and far between in the Ganzi area.
The Ya'an-Yecheng Expressway is a national arterial highway, and we truck drivers are very familiar with this route. It starts at the toll station in Duiyan Town, Ya'an, Sichuan, and ends in Yecheng County, Kashgar, Xinjiang, connecting both the Sichuan-Tibet Line and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The Garze section is prone to black ice, while the Hotan section often experiences sandstorms. A reminder for fellow drivers transporting goods: the service areas in Kangding, Batang, and Yecheng are larger supply points. It's advisable to check your vehicle's condition at these stations, especially ensuring the brake pad thickness when driving the Tibet section.
I just researched this for a self-driving route a couple days ago: The Ya'an-Yecheng Expressway spans approximately 3,900 kilometers in total, which I've verified on the map. The most breathtaking scenery along the Sichuan section comes right after passing through the Erlangshan Tunnel, but be sure to switch to manual transmission to control your speed on the long downhill stretch within Luding County. When crossing the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang section, temperatures can soar above 40°C, so remember to pack twice the usual amount of windshield washer fluid. Service areas are spaced farther apart on this route compared to eastern expressways, requiring special planning for charging points if you're driving an electric vehicle.
