Zhanjiang invests heavily in transport facilities

Zhanjiang invested 7.4 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) in transport facilities during the first 10 months of this year, up 13.15 percent from the same period last year, announced the city's Transport Bureau on Nov 21.

Construction of the Zhanjiang section of the Shantou-Zhanjiang Highway, Donghai Island Railway and the electrification of the Litang-Zhanjiang Railway are well underway, and expected to be completed by year's end.

The Zhanjing section of the Yulin-Zhanjiang Highway, the Wuchuan feeder of Shantou-Zhanjiang Highway and the new Zhanjiang International Airport, have begun construction as scheduled.

A feasibility report of the Nansan Island Bridge is pending approval from the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission. And the preparatory work for the electrification of the Maoming-Zhanjiang Railway and the wharf of the Xiashan Port is being carried out, paving the way for construction to begin this year.

Helicopter service from Haikou to Zhanjiang was launched in April. The first batch of seaplanes across Qiongzhou Straits also came into trial operation in October, providing a half-hour transport circle across the straits.

In the first 10 months of this year, 95.7 km of county roads have gone through maintenance and 67.4 km of village roads have been upgraded. In addition, 17 dilapidated bridges have been repaired to improve rural traffic conditions.

Port cargo throughput reached 239 million tons from January to October, up 10.9 percent year-on-year. The figure puts Zhanjiang in tenth place in the country, a perfect example of the phenomenal growth achieved by the city owing to improved transport facilities.