The Shenyang-Dalian expressway in northeast China's Liaoning Province, the first in the country, was closed for repair Friday.
When the project is completed in September 2004, its daily traffic capacity will be doubled to an estimated 100,000 vehicles,according to sources.
Built in 1990, the expressway connects the port city of Dalian with the provincial capital of Shenyang and some other inland cities.
Ninety percent of the province's large and medium-sized enterprises and 70 percent of its urban population are located along the expressway.
The expressway had reached its saturation point following an annual increase of 12 percent in transportation volume, said ZhangGongxian, deputy director of the provincial transport department.
To ensure traffic flow during the repair work, several major roads near the expressway are renovated, and the number of trains and planes has been increased, according to Zhang.
China currently boasts 20,000 kilometers of expressway, rankingsecond in the world after the United States. Enditem
(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2003)
