56-km expressway for self-driving starts operating in east China

A 56-km smart expressway, designed for level 4 autonomous driving, has started operating as a test section near Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, said the city's transportation department. This was reported by The Xinhua News Agency.

The two-way expressway features an intelligent upgrade based on two traditional expressways linking Suzhou with Taizhou and Shanghai with Yixing.

Starting from July 1, the three-month upgrade installed 270 sets of sensing devices, including laser radars, millimeter-wave radars, cameras, and antennas, at 55 locations along the expressway, ensuring a self-driving road environment.

A section of the smart expressway, spanning 6.5 km, was designed for self-driving vehicles of high automation, also known as level 4 autonomous driving, where an unmanned vehicle can perform all driving functions except in certain conditions, said the department.

It noted in the section's demonstration test that a 49-tonne unmanned truck performed well in identifying obstacles, moving cars, and reverse cars, and completed driving behaviors, including ramp entry, lane change, and overtaking.