Zhengzhou, January 12 (Reporter Liu Peng) -- The Henan Provincial Transportation Work Conference for 2026 was held in Zhengzhou on the 12th, where the province reported on its transportation achievements in 2025. The conference highlighted the province's total investment in fixed assets for highways and waterways exceeding 100 billion yuan, the significant increase in the total length of expressways to over 10,000 kilometers, and the breakthrough in port throughput of 70 million tons.
The photo shows Zhoukou Port in Henan Province. (Photo provided by the Henan Provincial Department of Transportation)According to reports, in 2025, Henan Province intensified its efforts in implementing key port and shipping projects. During this period, the central operation area of Zhoukou Port officially opened, marking Henan's entry into the "million TEU" era for inland waterway shipping. Pingdingshan Port also commenced operations, and Nanyang Port and Shangqiu Yongcheng Port accelerated their construction. The operational efficiency of Henan's ports significantly improved, with a total port throughput of 71.62 million tons and a container throughput of 114,000 TEUs for the year, representing year-on-year increases of 17.7% and 4.9%, respectively.
The report stated that in 2025, Henan's road network achieved a historic breakthrough, with 17 expressway projects totaling 1,126 kilometers, including the Minquan-Lankao section of the Yellow River Expressway, completed and opened to traffic. The total length of expressways in the province reached 10,088 kilometers, successfully surpassing the 10,000-kilometer mark. During this period, regional connectivity accelerated, with three Yellow River bridges, including the Jingwu Yellow River Bridge on the Anluo Expressway, completed and opened to traffic. Five new inter-provincial expressway corridors were added, bringing the total number of inter-provincial corridors to 156.
To support rural revitalization, Henan has implemented a new round of rural road improvement initiatives, constructing and renovating 7,603 kilometers of rural roads. The integration of transportation and tourism in Henan has also been innovatively deepened, with 3,213 kilometers of tourism roads being built. The Kaifeng "Song" cultural theme service area on the Lianhuo Expressway has become a popular tourist destination.
According to the report, in 2025, passenger and freight transportation in Henan Province saw steady growth. The province's road and waterway passenger volume reached 740 million trips, and freight volume reached 2.89 billion tons, maintaining year-on-year growth. 36 new international road freight companies were added. New transportation formats flourished, with 77 customized passenger transport routes for medical treatment opened and 18 new online freight companies established, achieving an annual online freight volume of 84.767 million tons. Furthermore, the province deepened the implementation of the rural road safety improvement campaign, renovating 692 dangerous bridges, implementing 1,972 kilometers of safety engineering projects, and completing safety improvements at 6,700 rural intersections.
The report stated that in 2025, Henan's transportation system made solid progress in green and low-carbon development, completing the renewal and scrapping of over 10,000 old operating vehicles and 460 ships, implementing toll discounts for hydrogen-powered and electric trucks, adding 1,960 charging spaces in highway service areas, and having several projects selected as national zero-carbon pilot projects.
"2026 is the first year of the '15th Five-Year Plan' and a crucial year for accelerating the construction of a strong transportation province," said Fu Lei, Director of the Henan Provincial Department of Transportation. He added that the Henan transportation system will continue to focus on high-quality development, accelerating the construction of a safe, convenient, efficient, green, and economical modern comprehensive transportation system, making new and greater contributions to the province's economic and social development. (End)
