From gridlock to green light: better tech for a smarter highway

During Chinese New Year (known in China as Spring Festival), holiday travelers made nearly 9 billion trips across the country. Motorists cruised down highways, national trunk roads, and rural byways as people headed home to visit their families.

Many used the G60 Shanghai-Kunming Expressway, an east-west artery that has become familiar to those making the annual Spring Festival trip. Reconstruction and expansion of the expressway’s Jiangxi section forced lanes to shut down, causing traffic jams that left drivers and passengers stranded for hours.

To tackle this challenge, Jiangxi Provincial Communications Investment Group (JCIG for short) collaborated with Huawei to launch a smart highway project that integrates construction, management, maintenance, and operations, and adopts smart capacity expansion to relieve traffic congestion.

Smarter roads, smoother rides

Using cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and AI, the project lowers operating costs and improves traffic efficiency and management standards. Real-time data analysis lets traffic management departments adjust and optimize lane allocation, as well as setting speed limits to facilitate orderly traffic flow.

During peak hours, the smart highway system monitors traffic conditions and implements proactive measures like early control, vehicle pacing, and efficient traffic distribution.

During the Spring Festival, Huawei partnered with JCIG and the Jiangxi Highway Traffic Police to enhance traffic management using smart transportation methods. They leveraged data-driven solutions to increase efficiency and intelligently expand the road network.

Integrating tech into highway infrastructure

Huawei’s technology delivers a variety of benefits:

Real-time monitoring. Sensors, radar, and drones keep a close eye on the highway. They spot accidents, stalled cars, or pedestrians instantly, cutting detection time from minutes to seconds.

Faster emergency response. During busy travel seasons Spring Festival, police, tow trucks, and road crews work together seamlessly. Drones quickly reach accident scenes, even in hard-to-see areas, speeding up rescue and keeping traffic moving.

Smarter data use. By analyzing traffic patterns and historical data, the system catches illegal vehicles and toll dodgers automatically, reducing manual checks and boosting efficiency.

Eco-friendly roads. The highway’s data center uses energy-saving tech, slashing carbon emissions and construction waste. Plus, smoother traffic flow means fewer idling cars and less pollution—saving about 100 tons of CO₂ during peak travel.

Data-powered operations. Digital tools like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and real-time tracking keep traffic flowing smoothly, prevent jams, and help planners optimize road use, making trips safer and faster.

The highway’s digital system monitors traffic in real time, spots problems fast, and speeds up decision-making—cutting delays and improving safety. By using an "1+3+1" digital operations model, the highway shifts from old-school methods to smart, data-driven management.

The system works with the Liyuan-Wenjiazhen Expressway’s control center, tracking busy routes and accident-prone zones. If traffic jams or emergencies pop up, it sends instant alerts, helping crews respond faster and keep drivers informed.

Tech that keeps traffic moving

Wang Yiqiong, Director at the Nanchang South Management Center, highlights how Huawei’s radar and AI-powered cameras help detect issues before they escalate. Instead of just reacting to accidents, the system predicts and prevents them.

“Now, when an accident happens, we instantly alert police, tow trucks, and toll operators—minimizing delays and keeping traffic flowing,” says Wang.

Although the Chinese New Year travel season ended months ago, smart highway technology continues to flourish. As technology and applications advance, smart highways will continue to safeguard public mobility, making every journey safer and worry-free.