Ministry of Transport Releases New Recommended Industry Standard for Desert-Area Highway Design and Construction
交通运输部关于发布《沙漠地区公路设计与施工技术规范》的公告
Issuing authority
交通运输部 (Ministry of Transport)
Document type
guidance
Publication date
2026-09-24
Deadline
2026-11-01
What happened
On 24 September 2026, the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) issued guidance titled 《交通运输部关于发布《沙漠地区公路设计与施工技术规范》的公告》, releasing the recommended industry standard 《沙漠地区公路设计与施工技术规范》(JTG/T 3331-01—2026) for highway engineering in desert areas. source
The new standard will take effect on 1 November 2026, and the previous 《沙漠地区公路设计与施工指南》(JTG/T D31—2008) will be simultaneously abolished. source
The Ministry of Transport retains administrative and interpretative authority over the standard, while daily management and interpretation work will be handled by Xinjiang Transportation Research Institute Co., Ltd. (新疆交通科学研究院有限责任公司). source
Who is affected
Given the effective-deadline nature of the guidance, engineering, design, and construction firms active in China’s desert-region highway projects—together with their project sponsors and lenders—should treat the new standard as the applicable technical baseline for current and future works. source
What to do
Review ongoing and planned desert-area highway engineering contracts to confirm whether technical specifications cite the abolished JTG/T D31—2008 standard, and update them to reference 《沙漠地区公路设计与施工技术规范》(JTG/T 3331-01—2026) before the 1 November 2026 effective date. source
Instruct project designers and contractors to integrate the new recommended industry standard into construction plans, bidding documents, and quality-control protocols for desert-region road projects once it takes effect. source
Track interpretative guidance from the Ministry of Transport or Xinjiang Transportation Research Institute Co., Ltd. (新疆交通科学研究院有限责任公司), which is charged with daily management and interpretation of the standard. source
Key dates
24 September 2026 – Publication of 《交通运输部关于发布《沙漠地区公路设计与施工技术规范》的公告》 source
1 November 2026 – Effective date of 《沙漠地区公路设计与施工技术规范》(JTG/T 3331-01—2026) and simultaneous abolition of JTG/T D31—2008 source