Meiguan Expressway in Shenzhen to go toll-free  

深圳市政府花费约27亿元回购高速路 将免费开放

(ECNS) -- The Meilin-Guanlan (Meiguan) Expressway in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, will be toll-free starting on April 1, 2014, the Beijing Times reported on Wednesday.

The information was released by Mayor Xu Qin at a press conference on Monday.

As part of the National Expressway G94, the 19.2-km expressway, running from the Meilin toll gate at Longhua New District to Guanlan New District in Shenzhen, opened in 1995. Drivers have been paying 7 yuan to use that section of highway.

Shenzhen Expressway Co Ltd and its wholly owned subsidiary, Shenzhen Meiguan Expressway Co Ltd, Transport Commission of Shenzhen Municipality and Shenzhen Longhua New Area Administrative Committee signed an agreement on Monday.

According to the agreement, drivers can use the expressway with no tolls.

Based on the deal, Shenzhen government agrees to make cash compensation of 2.7 billion yuan to Shenzhen Expressway and Meiguan Expressway, which has rights to charge tolls until 2027.

The money includes compensation of possible income from the toll-free section and other related expenses in the transaction of management power over the expressway.

"The decision has been made by the municipal government to improve the transportation structure for the city," said Huang Min, director of the transportation department of Shenzhen.

After the toll is canceled, the management rights of the highway will be transferred to the municipal government of Shenzhen, which will launch a transformation project over the expressway.