China to speed up expressway network construction

China is endeavoring to build its expressway network as many localities put forward its expressway construction plans at the beginning of the new year.

The Liaoning provincial government in northeast China plans to investment 8 billion yuan (966 million US dollars) in building some 1,151 km expressways in 2005, claimed Zheng Yuzhuo, director of the Provincial Communication Department.

"It will be the largest investment in expressway construction and the longest mileage expressway in Liaoning Province over the recent years," said Zheng.

It includes two projects under construction, and six projects to be planned to start building early this year, said Zheng.

According to Zheng, boasting expressways with the total mileageof 1,637 kilometers, the Liaoning Province saw an investment of 4.63 billion yuan (559 million US dollars) in expressway construction in 2004.

North China's Shanxi Province will invest 17 billion yuan (2.1 billion US dollars) in building expressways to increase by 335 kilometers the length of its expressways this year.

Boasting a 1,347-kilometer-long expressway network, the province, a major coal producer in north China, will realize its plan that people can drive from Taiyuan, capital of the province, to its 10 cities within three hours through expressway in 2005.

East China's Jiangxi Province will begin to build five new expressways in 2005. With the completion of these projects, the province will increase its total expressway mileage to 3,000 kilometers by 2010 from more than 1,000 kilometers last year.

Approved by the State Council last December, China's national expressway network construction plan expects to see a 85,000 kilometers expressway network running through the country coveringan area of 300,000 hectares within 30 years.

Of the 300,000 hectares, about 160,000 are in the western region of China, the poorer region of the country. Most will be built in mountainous areas.