East China's Shandong Province plans to invest 30.5 billion yuan (about US$3.8 billion) in road and port construction in 2006.

Zhou Qiutian, director of the provincial communications department, said Shandong will increase 2,000 km of road at the cost of 20 billion yuan (some US$2.5 billion) this year.

The mileage will include expressway of 118 kilometers, the official said.

By the end of 2006, Zhou said, the gross road mileage in Shandong will reach 82,000 kms, including 3,281 kms of expressway.

The department will also raise money to rebuild 8,000 kms of roads in the rural areas and 6,000 kilometers of existing asphalt-surfaced road built decades before.

Besides, Shandong also plans to invest 9.7 billion yuan (some US$1.2 billion) in port construction, increasing its total thruput by 67 million tons.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2006)