According to the Tibet Business Daily, a ‘high-grade highway’ between Lhasa and Nyingchi (Tibetan, Nyingtri) is expected to begin its trial operations on September 15.
On September 10, 2015, local reporters drove from Lhasa to Meldro Gungkar (Maizhokunggar) County to ‘experience highway conditions’ on this section of the new Lhasa-Nyingchi highway. Their ‘trial’ ride lasted 40 minutes.
The Lhasa-Nyingchi high-grade highway is one of key projects of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan. It runs on a distance of 410 kilometers from the Tibetan capital to Nyingchi, located north of Arunachal Pradesh (i.e. the McMahon Line). Once it opens to traffic, the journey from Lhasa to Nyingchi will be two hours shorter, compared to the present drive.
It is said that three rows of induction lamps will light up the tunnel, allowing drivers to have a good sight of road condition while inside the tunnel, says the China Tibet Online. The entire highway seems to be built for the sake of the Chinese tourists …and the PLA (the main PLA’s Headquarters in located in Bayi town, the terminus of the road). Soon after leaving Lhasa, the visitor can stop at a viewing point called Bagaxue Viewing Deck. With black-necked cranes crossing this wet land area in winter, passengers can see the birds …if they are lucky. Then, 40 minutes away from Lhasa, in Meldro Gungkar, the visitor can take a bath in Dezhong Hot Spring. Reporters were told that “once the monitoring equipment is adjusted, the high-grade highway between Lhasa and Nyingchi will start its trial operations.”
What is this monitoring equipment? Probably surveillance cameras to check the vehicular traffic! The Chinese website mentions that besides, monitoring equipment, all relays need to be fitted with solar panels and wind generators; further large LED screens will be installed to display information about the regions crossed and the traffic situation.[Source]