Hunan Province has officially launched the public tender process for the franchise operators of two major expressway projects, with a combined estimated investment of 48.991 billion yuan. The bidding initiative covers the G6023 Zhuzhou-Shaoshan Expressway (also known as the Changsha South Horizontal Expressway) bundled together with the Changsha-Anhua section of the Changji Expressway. The tender is being organized by the Changsha Municipal Transportation Bureau, which will serve as both the implementing agency and the tendering party for this significant infrastructure undertaking.
The comprehensive investment estimate for the entire project stands at 48.991 billion yuan, with the G6023 Zhuzhou-Shaoshan Expressway component accounting for approximately 23.816 billion yuan and the Changsha-Anhua section of the Changji Expressway representing around 25.175 billion yuan. These figures are based on preliminary assessments and are subject to final approval from national and provincial authorities, which may adjust the total investment, construction scale, timelines, technical standards, and route alignments as deemed necessary.
The G6023 Zhuzhou-Shaoshan Expressway project will originate in Puji Town, Liuyang City, within Changsha's jurisdiction, connecting with the G0422 Wushen Expressway and linking to the proposed G6023 Nanchang-Fenghuang Expressway section from Liuyang (Hunan-Jiangxi border) to Zhuzhou. The route will conclude in Jinshi Town, Xiangxiang City, where it will meet the S50 Changzhi Expressway, covering a total length of 97.035 kilometers. The initial 82.07-kilometer segment from the starting point to the Ningshao Expressway will feature a two-way six-lane design with a 34-meter roadbed width and a design speed of 120 kilometers per hour, while the remaining 14.965-kilometer stretch to the terminus will adopt a two-way four-lane configuration with a 26.5-meter roadbed width, also designed for 120 kilometers per hour.
The Changsha-Anhua section of the Changji Expressway will begin at Xiangbiwo in Yuelu District, Changsha, with its main line extending 124.872 kilometers. The first 42.560 kilometers to the Ningshao Expressway will be constructed as a two-way six-lane highway with a 33.5-meter roadbed width and a design speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The middle segment from the Ningshao Expressway to the Huachang Expressway spans 30.257 kilometers as a two-way four-lane road with a 26.5-meter roadbed and the same design speed, while the final 52.055 kilometers to the endpoint will feature a two-way four-lane standard with a 26-meter roadbed and a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour.
Both sub-projects will operate under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, with each having a planned pre-construction period of one year and a construction period of four years. The operational period, including the toll collection phase, will commence the day after project completion and extend until the toll collection deadline, which will be determined by the Hunan Provincial People's Government and cannot exceed the maximum statutory period for commercial toll roads in China. The franchise period itself encompasses the preliminary phase, construction phase, and operational phase, and typically remains fixed unless terminated prematurely.
Regarding the financial structure, the G6023 Zhuzhou-Shaoshan Expressway requires a minimum project capital contribution of 20% of the total estimated investment, in compliance with national capital management regulations. The project will also seek key transportation sector funding, calculated at 30% of construction and installation costs but capped at 40 million yuan per kilometer, with the exact amount pending approval from relevant authorities. This central government funding will be allocated with 33% serving as government capital injection into the project's capital fund and the remainder provided as construction period investment subsidies. All other construction funding will come from debt financing, with the project company bearing full responsibility for loan repayment without any government guarantees.
For the Changsha-Anhua section of the Changji Expressway, the minimum project capital is also set at 20% of the total estimated investment, fully funded by the franchise operator. Similar to the other sub-project, remaining construction costs will be covered through debt financing, with the project company assuming sole responsibility for debt service and the government providing no financial guarantees whatsoever.
The successful bidder will be required to establish a project company in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, including the Company Law, Highway Law, Toll Road Management Regulations, and Infrastructure Franchise Management Measures. This entity will oversee all aspects from project planning and financing through construction, operation, debt repayment, asset management, and eventual transfer, operating autonomously with full responsibility for profits and losses. Upon expiration of the franchise agreement, all highway assets, ancillary facilities, land use rights, and related documentation must be transferred to the Changsha Municipal Transportation Bureau without compensation, with the provincial government notified to determine the receiving entity in accordance with applicable laws at that time.
Interested bidders are required to apply for a CA digital certificate through the Hunan Public Resources Trading Center, with the lead partner handling this process for consortium bids. Tender documents can be downloaded via the electronic trading platform from the announcement date until 08:59 Beijing time on September 29, 2026, using the CA certificate. Bid submissions must be uploaded electronically to the same platform before the 09:00 deadline on September 29, 2026, with encrypted files being mandatory, and the bidding process will feature online decryption and virtual opening procedures, eliminating the need for physical attendance. The tender announcement has been published simultaneously on the Hunan Province Bidding Supervision Network, the Hunan Provincial Transportation Department website, and the Hunan Public Resources Trading Center website.