(People's Daily/Huo Wen)

The Chinese-built first expressway in Mongolia was handed over to the local government at the beginning of July, as a gift from China to Mongolia on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The two-way, six-lane expressway is 32 kilometers long with a designed speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It connects the New Ulan Bator International Airport and Yarmag toll station.

The expressway is contracted by China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group (CTCEG). Adopting Chinese technologies, the company built the expressway into one that could withstand low temperatures, said Zheng Ji, chief engineer of the expressway project.

To ensure that the road is smooth and flat, CTCEG adopted a high-tech pavement machine made by China. Equipped with infrared devices, the vehicle could lower the deviations in the construction and thus make the road smoother.

"We have learned a lot from the Chinese technicians even though we only participated in a small part of the construction," said the chief engineer of a local company. With the help of Chinese technicians, the company learnt how to protect slopes during construction.

The Mongolian company had only five engineers and several pieces of equipment when it was just established in 2012. After cooperating with CTCEG in 2017, it now has 20 engineers, 100 technicians and 60 pieces of equipment.

CTCEG has cooperated with about 30 Mongolian companies and created over 1,000 jobs in the past three years.

Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, Prime Minister of Mongolia, said the expressway will not only make it convenient for people to travel, but also stimulate the economic development of his country.