Wednesday, December 27, 2000, updated at 09:08(GMT+8)
China
New Expressway Opens in Central China Province
A 168.8-kilometer-long expressway opened to traffic December 26 in Hunan Province, central China.
The expressway, connecting the cities of Xiangtan and Leiyang, is the longest one built in the province in the 20th century, with the support of loan from the World Bank for the first time, according to Li An, director of the Hunan Provincial Communications Bureau.
Construction of the expressway, which is part of the highway between Beijing and Zhuhai, started in 1997, at a cost of over four billion yuan, including 200 million U.S. dollars in World Bank loan.
It will play a major role in improving the investment environment and promoting economic growth in the province, Li said.