Meilin Checkpoint gets major traffic overhaul to ease daily commutes

Long notorious for rush-hour gridlock, Shenzhen’s Meilin Checkpoint is undergoing a sweeping transformation to become a model of smart, integrated urban transport.

Situated where Longhua connects to Futian, Meilin has long been a commuter chokepoint. Now, it’s the focus of a major infrastructure upgrade that brings together road, rail, and transit hub redevelopment into a unified, multi-layered mobility system.

A computer-generated aerial view of the Meilin Checkpoint highlights the district’s integration of transport infrastructure with residential, commercial, and ecological spaces in the future. Photos from WeChat account "一眼龙华"

Major roadwork underway

At the center of the overhaul is a 1.6-kilometer semi-underground reconstruction of Meiguan Thoroughfare, stretching from Minle Interchange to Meiguan Interchange. The redesign includes an eight-lane sunken expressway, flanked by eight-lane surface-level service roads, and is expected to improve traffic flow by more than 10%.

Planners are also adding a 0.55-kilometer elevated overpass to create a three-level network — underground, surface, and elevated. Once complete, the system could improve overall traffic efficiency by more than 40%.

A smart traffic management system will launch alongside the roadwork, with intelligent light poles and inspection robots to monitor and optimize traffic conditions in real time.

A layered design for Meiguan Thoroughfare integrates sunken roadways, green space, and underground transit links.

A rail revamp to match

Complementing the road upgrades is an ambitious plan to integrate Meilin’s metro and rail systems. The area sits at the junction of multiple lines, including Metro lines 4 and 6, the under-construction Line 22, and a planned intercity railway which is part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s regional rail network.

To improve connectivity, a 550-meter pedestrian transfer corridor will link four metro stations and a major bus terminal. The corridor will also support mixed-use development, with retail, cultural, and public spaces along the route.

Construction on Line 22’s Luhu Station has already topped out. Once operational, the high-speed Metro line — designed for 120 km/h — will connect central Futian to northern Guanlan in just 45 minutes and reach border areas within an hour.

A smarter, greener transit hub

The district will also transform its existing bus terminal into a smart mobility hub, adding three new express bus routes and reconfiguring the underground structure to connect directly with Metro and intercity rail platforms.

By 2028, a three-level underground interchange will allow seamless transfers between Metro lines 6, 22, the intercity railway, and surface transit. The hub will anchor a new “city-in-nature” concept, blending the area's green hills with walkable, high-density, transit-oriented development.

Backed by an estimated 70 billion yuan (US$9.9 billion) in investment, Meilin is being positioned as Shenzhen’s next premier urban gateway. Longhua District plans to unlock 1.8 million square meters of new development above the upgraded infrastructure — making Meilin not just a traffic solution, but a catalyst for long-term urban growth.