Baojin Expressway (July 2004 image)

The Baojin Expressway (pinyin: Baojin Gaosu Gonglu) is so named because it connects Baoding in Hebei province with Tianjin.

The expressway was first built in 1995 and opened to the general motoring public in mid-December of 1999. It links Baoding, Xushui, Rongcheng and heads east toward Tianjin, linking Xiongxian and Bazhou.

The 129 km-long expressway is designed for a speed that, as of May 2004, is the maximum speed legally tolerated on PRC expressways -- 120 km/h. (The Tianjin part, though, has a lower speed limit of 110 km/h.)

The western part links with the Jingshi Expressway 118 kilometres after its starting point from Beijing's 3rd Ring Road at Liuliqiao. It is not far away from the city of Baoding.

The eastern end links with the Waihuan (Outer Ring) Road in Tianjin, which links to other expressways in the region, such as the Jingjintang Expressway to Beijing and Tanggu, and the Jinghu Expressway to Shanghai.

Three service areas exist along the expressway.