Highway crossing old revolutionary base area under construction

The soon-to-be-completed Dabanliang (Shaanxi-Gansu border) to Qingcheng section of the G244 expressway [Photo by Zhang Bin]

The construction of the Dabanliang (Shaanxi-Gansu border) to Qingcheng section of the G244 Expressway, a major project supporting the Qingyang old revolutionary base area in Northwest China's Gansu province, has now entered the final stage, according to the local transportation authority.

The planned project, stretching for 74.92 kilometers, has attracted a total investment of 10.22 billion yuan ($1.40 billion), and is expected to open to traffic at the end of this year. By that time, Qingyang's Huachi county will finally have an expressway.

With it in place, the time and distance between several major cities in Northwest China -- from Qinyang to Yan'an or Lanzhou to Yan'an -- will be shorter.

After being completed, it will help boost the sales of special agricultural products, stimulate red tourism, and accelerate the construction of comprehensive energy and chemical industrial base, which will significantly drive Qinyang to be a regional central city in the adjacent Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia area.