A new round of cross-sea transportation capacity upgrades has been launched for the Qiongzhou Strait.

Recently, the reporter learned from the Hainan Provincial Department of Transportation that in the first half of the year, passenger and freight transportation across the Qiongzhou Strait maintained rapid growth, with passenger throughput reaching 11.85 million, an increase of 10.3% year-on-year; 3.422 million roll-on/roll-off vehicles were transported, an increase of 9.8% year-on-year. To meet the actual demand for continuous growth after the closure of the free trade port, Hainan has launched a new round of cross-strait transportation capacity upgrade actions for the Qiongzhou Strait, systematically advancing from seven dimensions including port area renovation, capacity enhancement, and intelligent scheduling.

In terms of port facilities, Hainan Port and Shipping Holding Co., Ltd. is accelerating the comprehensive renovation of berth No. 11 in the Xiuying Port area of Haikou Port, aiming for completion before this year's National Day to enhance the comprehensive operational capacity of the terminal; it is also promoting the upgrade and renovation of berths No. 8 and No. 9 at the Haian New Port on the northern shore, enabling simultaneous docking of deck cargo ships and passenger roll-on/roll-off ships to maximize the release of deck cargo ship capacity.

Capacity iteration is being accelerated simultaneously. Construction has begun on two new passenger roll-on/roll-off ships, and the design phase for a roll-on/roll-off ship dedicated to trucks has commenced. Hainan is further increasing the frequency of routes to Fangchenggang and Beihai in Guangxi, effectively alleviating pressure on the main channel through peripheral diversion.

To address the growing demand for new energy vehicles crossing the strait, Hainan Port and Shipping has optimized the layout of the waiting area for vehicles at the Xiuying Port area, expanded the waiting area for new energy vehicles, and implemented zoned waiting and diversion control for different types of vehicles to reduce congestion in the port area during peak periods. Flexible schedules for new energy vehicle transportation have been introduced, adopting a "base quota + floating schedule" dynamic allocation model to improve the loading efficiency of new energy vehicles.

Digital intelligence empowerment has become a major highlight of this upgrade. Hainan is accelerating the construction of a smart strait, promoting the improvement of the overall architecture of the smart strait. The smart scheduling system and intelligent shipping platform are now operational, enabling a one-map display of the overall situation, dynamic capacity scheduling, and intelligent navigation decision-making. The intelligent ticketing platform has been optimized to improve ticket release, time-slot reservations, and refund/exchange rules, using precise control measures to guide passengers to travel during off-peak times and enhance peak-period traffic efficiency.

Currently, the Qiongzhou Strait has fully achieved unified scheduling of cross-strait shipping resources. The New Sea Roll-on/Roll-off Terminal Passenger Comprehensive Hub Station has been completed and put into operation, four flatbed ships dedicated to new energy vehicles have been deployed, and convenience measures such as the "Driver's Home" at New Sea Port and green channels for fresh agricultural products have been implemented. The order of cross-strait traffic, waiting environment, and schedule stability have been continuously improved.