Shenzhen to spend CNY130 billion on road building over five years

SHENZHEN plans to spend CNY131.1 billion (US$20.1 billion) to CNY138.6 billion on building roads during the 12th Five Year Plan from 2011 to 2015 with 30.1 million earmarked for expressways, Xinhua reports.


Shenzhen's transport authority recently announced a road development plan, pointing out that the current network is not large enough and has defects while lacking direct links with cities on the western shores of the Pearl, despite having made great achievements.


Statistics show that Shenzhen boasts 6,041 kilometres of roads at the end of 2010. Being one of the hub for travellers and cargo on east coast of the Pearl River, Shenzhen's sea, air, rail and road transportation network has deep impact on the greater Pearl River Delta region and even nationwide.


During the upcoming five years, Shenzhen will launch 498 projects, adding 1,142 kilometres of secondary trunk roads and 342 kilometres of expressways. By the end of 2015, the city will have 7,300 - 7,800 kilometres of roads. Meanwhile, Shenzhen will build more trunk roads to neighbouring cities of Dongguan and Huizhou and expand its network to cover nearby provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangxi. It will also form a "two-hour circle" traffic network in which travelling time will be reduced to two hours from Shenzhen to any city in the Pearl River Delta, as well as a "one-hour circle" between Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou.


Shenzhen also plans to separate cargo and passenger to make distinction on the functions of road and widen the truck-banned roads in urban areas. According to its plan, trucks will be gradually eliminated from downtown by building more expressways in the suburbs.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)