Roads in Tibet
As the development of economy in Tibet and the strong support of central government, the main roads in Tibet are almost paved with asphalt. Centered around Lhasa, a transport network has taken shape in Tibet. Road conditions in Tibet have also been improved significantly in recent years, especially between cities and in large cities. Most famous tourist attractions have asphalt roads, such as Lhasa, Nyingchi, Gyangtse, Shigatse, Shigatse and so on. This page covers the main road information in Tibet.
1. Central Beijing Road
Central Beijing Road is a major thoroughfare in the city of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region which links the city to north-east Tibet and China.
2. China National Highway 109 in Tibet
China National Highway 109 connects Beijing with Lhasa. It runs westwards of Beijing via Datong, Yinchuan and Xining to Golmud before turning southwest to Lhasa. The portion of the highway from Xining to Lhasa is known as the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. The total distance of the highway is 3,901km.
3. China National Highway 214
China National Highway 214 (G214) runs from Xining, Qinghai to Jinghong, Yunnan. It is 3,256 kilometres in length and runs south from Xining towards Tibet, and ends in Yunnan Province.
4. China National Highway 219
China National Highway 219 (G219) runs along the southwestern border of the People’s Republic of China, from Yecheng (Karghilik) in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Lhatse in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is 1,296 miles (2,086 kilometers) in length. Construction of this road was started in 1951. It was completed in 1957. The road passes through disputed area of Aksai Chin, an area administered by the People’s Republic of China but also claimed by India, and its construction was one of the triggers for the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Originally made of gravel, it was fully paved with asphalt in 2013.
5. China National Highway 317
China National Highway 317 (G317) runs broadly west to east from Chengdu, Sichuan to Naqu, Tibet. It is 2,028 kilometres in length. As of 2017, Highway 317 passes through the highest vehicular tunnel in the world in the Chola Mountains of Dêgê County.
6. China National Highway 318
China National Highway 318 (G318) runs from Shanghai to Zhangmu on the China-Nepal border. It is the longest China National Highway at 5,476 kilometres(3,403 mi) in length and runs west from Shanghai towards Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, and ends in Tibet. From Lhasa to Zhangmuit is also called Friendship Highway.At the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge, it connects with the 115 km long Araniko Highway to Kathmandu.
7. Friendship Highway (China–Nepal)
It is another main road. It stretches 900 kilometers from Kathmandu in Nepal, then passing through Zhamgu Nyalam, Tingri, Shigatse, and finally getting to Lhasa in Tibet. It is about 150 km in Nepal and 750 km in Tibet. There are about 170 unsurfaced road to Tibet.
8. North Linkor Road
North Linkor Road is a major road of the city of Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China which links the city to the north of Tibet.
9. Lhasa Airport Expressway
The Lhasa Airport Expressway, officially the Lhasa to Gonggar Airport Expressway, also shortened to the Lagong Expressway is an expressway that links Lhasa Gonggar Airport to the city center of Lhasa, the capital of the autonomous region of Tibet, China. The expressway is designated as S1, however this designation is unsigned, and signposts on the expressway simply refer to it as the Airport Expressway.
