Inner Mongolia to achieve full connection of east-west expressway in 2024

Information from the Inner Mongolia autonomous regional transportation work conference, which was held on Jan 17 in Hohhot, revealed that Inner Mongolia plans to achieve the full connection of the east-west expressway, interconnection of expressways between leagues and cities, and the linking of key port expressways in 2024.

"In 2024, our focus will be on addressing the shortcomings in transportation infrastructure, promoting cost reduction and efficiency improvement in transportation logistics, enhancing transportation support capabilities, and optimizing the transportation and logistics business environment," stated a person in charge of the region’s department of transportation.

In 2024, Inner Mongolia will implement 39 key road projects that will have a construction scale of 2,500 kilometers. The main projects are scheduled to be completed this year include the G5511 Tongliao section and the G0616 Ganqimaodu-Hailiutu section.

The completion of the S43 Hohhot Airport Expressway and the S29 Hohhot to Liangcheng Expressway in 2024 will further enhance the 2-hour road circle connecting Hohhot, Baotou, Ordos, and Wuhai.

Acceleration of the construction of the G1015 Xinfa-Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner expressway and the G1816 Wuhai-Shizuishan expressways will strengthen the connection with expressways in neighboring provinces and regions.

Additionally, 11 "dead-end road" projects on national and provincial trunk roads will be implemented, with eight to be completed within the year. These road projects will enhance the comprehensive efficiency of the region's road network.

Progress will be made in the construction of comprehensive transportation hubs, with three projects to be completed within the year.

Advancement on the construction of the Mandula and Ganqimaodu port freight hubs will also be prioritized.

In 2023, Inner Mongolia commenced the construction of over 10,000 km of roads, with an investment completion of 35.88 billion yuan ($4.92 billion).

Currently, all 103 banners and counties in Inner Mongolia are connected by first-class or above roads.

Additionally, 229 industrial parks and tourist attractions are connected by second-class or above roads, and the proportion of hard-surfaced roads extends to 94.9 percent in regards to towns and 87.7 percent in regards to larger-population villages.