Northwest China to invest US$12.3bn in road construction

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China (Photo: AdobeStock)

Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is reported to have plans to invest 83.2 billion yuan (approximately US$12.3 billion) in road construction in 2023, according to the regional transport department.

The investment will be allocated to 66 road construction projects, of which 22 will be completed within this year, according to Li Xuedong, deputy director of the department.

Xuedong says that in 2022 alone, Xinjiang spent more than 74.8 billion yuan on road construction – the largest amount since 2018.

Over 11,000 kilometres of expressways have been built in Xinjiang with nearly 90% of county-level localities accessible by expressway.

Last year, it was reported that a new highway traversing the Taklimakan Desert was put into operation. The highway, located in south Xinjiang’s Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, connects Yuli County and Qiemo County and is the third one across the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert.