CLOGGED ARTERY: Armed policemen clear an obstructed stretch of provincial road 210 in Baoxing County in Sichuan Province on April 22 (SHI GANG)

At noontime on April 22, Zhang Lei, head of a squad under a detachment of the Armed Police Second Traffic Team, was eating instant noodles at the side of provincial road 210 in southwest China's Sichuan Province. By his side were his fellow soldiers.

No more than half an hour after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake on April 20, Zhang's team was dispatched to clear up the leg of provincial road 210 between Lushan County, the epicenter and nearby Baoxing County.

Falling mud and stones from nearby cliffs clogged the road and cut off Baoxing County from the outside world.

As soon as the team arrived at Lushan County on the evening of April 20, they began removing mud and rocks.

The road connecting Lushan with Baoxing, though only a little more than 30 km long, is rife with dangers.

The section most vulnerable to landslides lies 5 km from Lingguan Town of Baoxing County. The section runs in a deep and dark valley, flanked by towering huge rocks on one side and turbulent and turbid river on the other.

Many rocks, loosened by the earthquake, are on the verge of collapse. Screes drift off the mountains from time to time. Vehicles crushed by falling boulders dot the roadside.

After more than 30 hours of work, the road was cleared and reopened to traffic in late afternoon on April 21.

Nonetheless, the repair work was far from over. Aftershocks continue to shake the mountains and landslides continue to bury roads.

Armed policemen were divided into a number of squads equipped with two to three excavators and loaders. Each squad was assigned to protect a section of the road.

On the afternoon of April 22, Zhang's squad was clearing a collapsed point located at the border between Liangguan Town and Zhongba Township in Baoxing County.

Excavator operator Nie Hong has been at the controls since the morning of April 21. The Hunan-born sergeant excels at working with engineering machines and is a seasoned road repairman.

"Our task is to guard the road from landslides to make sure that emergency vehicles can get through," Zhang said.

"Members of the unit have strong wills and loving hearts," said Pi Feng, press officer of Armed Police Second Traffic Team.

(Reporting from Baoxing County, Sichuan Province)