BEIJING, Dec. 9 -- A key section of China's water diversion project across arid Hebei Province has been completed, according to the construction committee.

The project is one of China's largest infrastructure schemes and will take water from the wet south to dry areas in the north, including Beijing.

The new section of almost 600 km attracted investment of 42 billion yuan (6.85 billion U.S. dollars), connects Beijing with Hebei provincial capital Shijiazhuang and includes a section near the port of Tianjin.

The section is part of the first stage of construction of the middle of three routes of the south-to-north water diversion project. The whole route is set to be completed by the end of the year and will supply water in 2014 for 19 major cities and more than 100 smaller towns in north China.