Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Friday
fulfilled its plan to link up all villages with highways.
When a road linking Magaozhuang Township in Tongxin County with
the regional highway network opened to traffic on Friday, all the
2,627 villages in 188 townships in Ningxia now have access to
asphalt roads.
Ningxia has invested 16 billion yuan (US$1.97 billion) since
2000 in 10 highway construction projects, thanks to financial
support from the central government. It now has 13,067 kilometers
of highways.
Highway transportation plays a key role in Ningxia. By the end
of 2005, motor vehicles owned by individuals exceeded 160,000 in
Ningxia. The revenue earned from highway transport makes up 18
percent of Ningxia's tertiary industry this year.
(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2005)