Car owners can save thousands of dollars a year. There are detailed road sections and detour guides at the end of the attached text.
The railings of the expressway toll booth were always lifted up, and this scene happened on the Sichuan Chengmian Expressway and Chengdu Chengbei Exit Expressway.
He is the first batch of expressways in western China, and can be accessed for free because tolls expire.
There is a driver who often drives on the Chengmian Expressway, and he kept sighing as he patted his car's steering wheel. He said that his tolls used to cost dozens of yuan, but now all the money is saved, and it will be more cost-effective to run business in the future.
In September 2025, Chengdu, Sichuan made a decision that many car owners felt very happy. The two major highways will be directly accessible for free after they expire.
This is not just a simple free time, but also a historic turning point in China's expressway toll system.
The free highway in Sichuan is not an isolated case. In recent years, a number of expressways built a long time ago have also stopped charging one after another.
The Sichuan Provincial Department of Transportation announced that the Chengdu-Mian Expressway and Chengdu Chengbei Exit Expressway will soon start to stop charging one after another. This behavior marked the first shot in the western part of Sichuan to cancel the toll on highways.
From 24:00 on September 4, 2025, Chengming Expressway will waive tolls for all vehicles passing through. Then from 24:00 on September 17, Chengdu’s Chengbei Exit Expressway will also stop tolling.
This is not just a simple stop toll on two highways. In order to ensure the stability of the highway network toll order, they will still operate at a zero-rate method, and will also charge vehicle tolls instead of other sections of the road.
This ice-breaking behavior in Chengdu provides a new idea, to stop charging in accordance with the law and regulations and return the road to the people.
As the earliest batch of highways built in my country gradually reach the toll period, how to deal with these roads will soon become a particularly important issue for local governments.
Where will the next one do this? The average daily traffic flow of Xi'an's ring expressway has exceeded 400,000 trains. What should we do after the charge expires?
Shaanxi has many toll roads. Will we continue to do this and implement a free policy?
What is the zero-rate operating model? What impact does this have on car owners?
If you only drive on this free highway, from entering to leaving, the toll you have to pay is indeed free. For some short-distance and local car owners, they will directly enjoy this benefit.
If you drive a long distance across sections, it is like you are from Chengmian Expressway on Deyang, then passing through Chengdu's Ring Expressway, and finally transfer to the Chengbei Exit Expressway to get off the station.
If this is the case, there will be no charges for sections of Chengmian Expressway and Chengbei Exit Expressway, but they will charge you on behalf of you for driving on other toll sections such as Chengdu Ring Expressway.
This shows that long-distance transit car owners can also enjoy some discounts. Your total cost will be reduced, because the travel expenses for Chengmian and Chengbei Exit Expressway are no longer charged.
Especially during holidays, and during peak hours in the morning and evening, new congestion points may appear on some sections of roads or toll stations.
This is a great advantage for some companies and logistics companies along the route, and they may be able to reduce the cost of logistics and improve the economic competitiveness of the region.
Chengmian Expressway is a major road connecting Chengdu and Mianyang. In normal times, the average daily traffic volume exceeds 100,000 vehicles.
This free policy has brought particularly considerable economic benefits to office workers, truck drivers and business people who often have to travel to Chengdu, Mianyang and Deyang.
A freight driver named Lao Li calculated the calculations and pulled a container to take the designated route. He could save hundreds of dollars after a trip. If he calculated it in a month, he could earn 2,000 yuan more for the freight profit.
For some ordinary car owners, the economic benefits brought by this free highway are also particularly obvious.
Some private car owners who often have to run around between Chengdu and Mianyang said that one-way toll can save dozens of dollars. If you save this for a long time, you can save thousands of dollars a year.
When encountering possible traffic congestion, it is particularly important to choose the correct detour route. The Highway Administration Bureau of the Provincial Department of Transportation also recommends that everyone try to avoid peak hours and go out when it is not crowded.
But the free policy is also like a double-edged sword. In the notice, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transportation clearly reminds everyone that the traffic flow will increase a lot after the expressway is free.
Traffic efficiency is expected to increase by 30% after free services, but traffic flow may increase by more than 30%, and traffic congestion may become more severe. Before the situation improves, everyone needs to gradually develop new travel habits and find a diversion route.
Before leaving, be sure to use the navigation app, or listen to traffic radio or check official social media to view real-time traffic conditions.
It is expected that after the free service, the traffic flow of Chengdu will be relatively large in the sections of roads such as Chengwen Qiong, Chengguan, Chengya, Chengnan and Chengmian.
It is recommended that car owners try to choose to convert from the second ring expressway and the Chengdu Radiation Expressway, so as to alleviate the pressure on the first ring expressway.
Most of these highways were built in the 1980s and 1990s, with a maximum toll period of 30 years. It is reasonable to stop charging and provide free access.
Shenzhen had a good start before, and the government spent 2.7 billion yuan to redeem the Meiguan Expressway and transformed it into a free-to-pass road.
The meaning of free passage is far more than saving a little toll. Highways are the main arteries of the economy, but they cannot be a stumbling block to card logistics and card consumption.
Now everyone is talking about the domestic circulation. Reducing transportation costs not only benefits the people, but also improves economic benefits.
This change not only makes everyone's wallet loose, but also reflects the sincerity of transportation to serve the people. The rules are taken seriously and the trust between people will increase.
Life can only be more prosperous when the road is smooth.
Article source.
1. Official notice from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transportation.
2. China Transportation News: "These two expressways in Sichuan will be free to pass"
