Ecological Highway from Detian Transnational Waterfall to Shuolong Border
Organization: PowerChina ZhongNan Engineering Corporation Limited
Project Name: Ecological Highway from Detian Transnational Waterfall to Shuolong Border
Location: Chongzuo City, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China
Project Phase: Construction
Expected Completion Date: December 20, 2025
Estimated Project Cost: RMB CNY 183 million
Bentley Software: Bentley LumenRT, iTwin Capture, MicroStation, OpenRoads, ProjectWise, ProStructures, OpenRoads
Project
The Ecological Highway, designed by PowerChina ZhongNan Engineering Corporation Limited, stretches 13.5 kilometers, beginning at the Detian Transnational Waterfall Scenic Spot and winding eastward to Shuolong International Port. It features one 335-meter tunnel, 49 culverts, and eight plane crossings, all developed to boost tourism, significantly improve local travel conditions, and strengthen external exchanges.
But bringing this highway to life wasnāt easy. The route passes through mountainous terrain, densely populated urban areas, and several scenic spaces, including the Huashan Scenic Area, Old Kapok, and Green Island Xingyun. With so many complexitiesāfrom multiple stakeholders to diverse design disciplinesāthe team turned to integrated digital modeling to keep everyone coordinated and on track.
Facts
- The team standardized and automated 3D design workflows, improving collaboration by 60%.
- Integrating Bentley LumenRT to visually communicate design intent reduced communication costs by 30% and minimized construction risks.
- Working in an open digital modeling platform reduced design changes and optimized coordination and management to save an estimated CNY 6 million.
- The digital solution protected landscapes and the ecological environment, and reduced carbon emissions by 37.2 tons.
āAs a tourist highway on the China-Vietnam border, this project faces numerous challenges in terms of land resources and environmental landscape protection. Thanks to Bentleyās solutions, this project has achieved innovative results in design optimization, technological innovation, cost reduction and efficiency improvement, ecological protection, and sustainable development. This has enhanced the project's impact and provided a replicable digital solution for similar projects around the world.ā
Solution
To manage the complicated design and construction of the Ecological Highway, PowerChina ZhongNan Engineering Corporation Limited used multiple Bentley products. They started by replacing traditional 2D models with multidiscipline design applications. Using ProjectWise, they established a common data environment, significantly improving collaboration and proactively resolving design conflicts before breaking ground. And with Bentley LumenRT, the team visually communicated design intent to all stakeholders. Plus, by simulating complex processes, they minimized onsite construction risks.
On top of this, the team leveraged Bentley’s Open applications in combination with the enterprise design standards of Central Southern China Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. to develop the āHighway and Municipal Road BIM Design System.ā Based on OpenRoads Designer, this innovative system enabled the standardization and automation of twelve road design modules. At the same time, based on the embedding of traffic engineering BIM standards, the system automatically assigned and managed model attribution information. This approach significantly improved design efficiency and quality across all highway disciplines.
Outcome
The Ecological Highway project will provide major community benefits. As a scenic tourist highway, visitor traffic efficiency is estimated to increase by 30%, driving an approximate 12% boost in annual tourism revenue along the route. The project has also had positive impacts on the environment. By optimizing earthwork, the team cut COā emissions by 37.2 tons. They also improved ecological protection, saving approximately CNY 400,000 in restoration costs. On top of that, strategic planning minimized land acquisition and protected natural habitats near the Guichun River.
Software
ProjectWise was used to establish a common data environment, enhancing collaboration and minimizing design conflicts before construction began.
Bentley LumenRT was used to visually communicate design intent to all stakeholders as well as simulate complex processes to minimize construction risks.
