A new road project under construction in Liaoning Province is receiving wide attention.

It is expected to link coastal economies in the province and optimize the use of land resources.

Port cities in Liaoning Province, including Dalian, Yingkou, Jinzhou, Huludao and Dandong, have well-developed coastal industries, such as shipping, tourism, aquaculture and salt chemicals.

However, due to the lack of an advanced transportation network, these economies, standing apart, cannot form an integrated economic zone, which would further strengthen the competitiveness for the cities as a whole.

The current roads linking the cities are in poor condition, which has seriously affected the flow of commodities and services.

Thus construction of a coastal road network was listed high on the agenda of local authorities.

The new road, currently under construction, is due to be completed in 2010. It will connect the five key coastal industrial zones and improve the transportation network in the province, said Yu Hongjun, senior economist with the Development and Reform Commission of the provincial government.

The linked industrial zones include Dalian Changxing Island Port Industrial Zone, Yingkou Coastal Industrial Base, Jinzhou Bay Coastal Economic Zone, Dandong Industrial Park and Dalian Zhuanghe Huayuankou Industrial Park.

More importantly, the road project is anticipated to promote commodity distribution, bolster investment and strengthen the competitive edge of the provincial economy.

Building the coastal artery is also expected to advance the urbanization process.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-10), local authorities plan to draw more investment, especially in small coastal towns adjacent to rural areas, seeking to attract surplus rural labour.

As one of the most dynamic regions in Northeast China, Liaoning Province has a well-established industrial industry in steel, machinery manufacturing, shipbuilding, metallurgy, electronic devices, petrochemicals, textiles, food, pharmaceuticals and tourism.

With a 2,920-kilometre-long coastline and rich marine resources, the province is also a key base for aquatic products, salt, oil and gas in the country.

Capitalizing on the advantages, the provincial government has developed a strategy to enhance coastal industries as an engine for local economic growth. And the construction of the coastal road is seen as a key move towards this target.

Experts believe the artery road will optimize the use of land resources, speed up construction of industrial and agricultural parks along it, and promote tourism development.

Triggered by the project, a total of 94 new industrial parks will be built along the road, with an expected annual incremental output value of 237.6 billion yuan (US$29.7 billion) in the near future.

Source: China Daily