- An administrative system of 4 levels, namely nation, province, prefecture and county, under the principle of “unified leadership, hierarchical administration”.
–The Ministry of Communications, as the national administrative authorities, is in charge of China’s highway affairs and bears the responsibility of drawing up and monitoring the implementation of development strategies, principles, policies, plans and directives in this field;
–Transportation authorities at the provincial level is the primary owner of expressway administration, responsible for the overall management of expressway construction and maintenance, and general administration;
–Transportation authorities at the prefecture and county levels take charge of detailed and specific affairs in their own precincts.
- The planning of National Highways is in the charge of the Ministry of Communications, who maps out the plan after consultation with relevant departments under the State Council and with provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities alongside the expressway. The plan is subject to the State Council for approval.
- The planning of Provincial Highways is in the charge of the transportation authorities at the province, autonomous region and municipality level, who maps out the plan after consultation with relevant departments at the same administrative level and with governments at the next lower level alongside the highway. The plan is subject to the government at this level for approval and should be put on the records of the Ministry of Communications.
- Designing of expressway is subject to the requirements and contract agreements listed in the Highway Engineering Technological Standards(validated on March 3,2004). However, more than one (1) designing parties will participate and collaborate in most projects; the depth and scope of their work are usually not the same; their designing capabilities, experiences and philosophies are always not identical. In this sense, there is no absolutely unified standards for expressway designing in China.
- Expressway administration in China can be classified into four (4) models:
- – Transportation authorities assume unified leadership, highway authorities carry out industry administration, and Section Companies or Business Offices see operations;
– Expressway Bureau under the provincial transportation authorities carries out direct administration;
– Highway Group implements unified administration;
– Transportation authorities implements unified administration, and Section Companies or Business Offices see operations.