Highways in Shaanxi Province in northwest China will total some 52,000 kilometers when six interprovince highways are completed in 2010.

According to an official with the Ministry of Communications, Shaanxi will have one of the most busiest highways in the country and play a pivotal role in China's efforts to open up its western regions.

Construction of the six highways will cost 203 billion yuan.

Once these highways are completed, it will be possible to drivefrom Xi'an, Shaanxi's provincial capital, to Beijing and other eight major Chinese cities across the country.

The highway project will be funded by state, bank loans, foreign funds and other sources.

Construction on five railway routes and a 1.3-billion-yuan expansion project of the Xianyang International Airport are also underway in Shaanxi.