Expressway Opens in XinjiangAn expressway linking Urumqi and Kuitun in northwest's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region opened to traffic Friday.This is one of China's longest expressways and the first in Xinjiang. The 265.5 kilometer freeway, a key project of China's 1996-2000 development plan, involved an investment of 5.13 billion yuan (about 640 million U.S. dollars), including 300 million U.S. dollars of World Bank loans. The expressway will serve as an artery for transporting Chinese goods to Central Asia and even Europe. It is also expected to greatly improve Xinjiang's economy and maintain the region's social stability. Construction of the highway began in March 1997. |
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