Aerial photo taken on July 1, 2020 shows a bridge linking Nantong and Zhangjiagang over the Yangtze River in east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
NANJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- 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.
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. ■
