[1][2] Completed in October 2013 after 52 years of intermittent construction, it ended Mêdog's status as China's last roadless county.
To keep the environment from being too upset, creative solutions were needed, such as elevated bridges and rerouting parts of the route to protect important habitats for endangered species like the snow leopard and Asian golden cat.
[5] Construction faced extreme challenges: workers battled frequent landslides, avalanches, and annual rainfall exceeding 3,000 mm.
The highway incorporates 29 bridges and 227 culverts to stabilize terrain, with 80% of the Medog section built as 4.5-meter-wide reinforced concrete roads to withstand seismic activity.
The highway supports Mêdog's tea plantations and eco-tourism while maintaining protocols to limit vehicle emissions in the fragile alpine ecosystem.