The total length of expressway in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has exceeded 1,000 km, said the local government.

With the completion of five new lines, the region has increased its expressway to 1,008 km, connecting different parts in the region as well as linking the region to neighboring provinces.

In line with the national strategy of developing the western regions, Inner Mongolia, a region backward in transportation, made great efforts in improving its infrastructure.

The region started expressway construction in 2000 and the expressway length reached 491 km last year, said sources of the concerned expressway construction company.

This year, the region has invested 26 billion yuan (3.2 billion US dollars) in highway construction.

According to the national blueprint on highway network, the autonomous region is expected to pave 4,700 km of expressway in the next 10 years.

Source: Xinhua