As the Qingming Festival holiday approaches, Guangdong's highways are bracing for a surge in traffic. From April 4 to April 6, small passenger vehicles (7 seats or fewer) will enjoy toll-free travel, fueling an expected increase in road trips across the province.

Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese holiday for honoring ancestors, visiting graves, and enjoying the spring outdoors. The holiday officially begins on April 4, with the heaviest outbound traffic expected from the afternoon of April 3. April 6 will see the highest volume of return trips, with traffic easing back to normal on April 7, predicted by Guangdong Provincial Communication Group.

Several highways are receiving updates and restrictions. Sections of the Guanghui, Yuegan, Huihe, and Shanmei Expressways will be under construction, leading to traffic control measures. Additionally, service areas such as Beidou on the Shanmei Expressway, Zhongxin on the Yuegan Expressway, Pingyuan on the Meiping Expressway, and Jiaoling service areas on the Changshen Expressway will be temporarily closed.

In case of severe congestion on the surrounding roads of the Humen Pearl River Bridge, temporary entry restrictions will be imposed at Weiyuan and Nansha toll stations. Trucks and buses with more than 40 seats remain prohibited throughout the day. Hazardous cargo vehicles and large trucks will not be permitted to enter the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link at any time.

Demand for cross-border bus services between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao is surging during the holiday. Since pre-sales began on March 4, more than 20,000 tickets had been sold as of March 31. Over 50,000 passengers are expected to travel between April 2 and April 7.

To meet the demand, an additional 81 bus trips, up to 144 vehicles, will be added, with an over 5% increase in capacity compared to last year's Qingming holiday. Special express routes will also operate directly to destinations like Yangjiang, Yangchun, Sihui, Sanshui, Luoding, Yunfu, Heshan, and Jiuliang for those returning home for tomb sweeping and mourning.

In addition, 211 emergency response stations will be set up during the holiday along 84 expressways across Guangdong. More than 700 pieces of related equipment will be deployed, with a special focus on tunnels, bridges, and other key sections to ensure smooth traffic flow and travel safety.