URUMQI, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- The first cross-desert expressway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region officially opened to traffic on Saturday, cutting travel time between cities in north Xinjiang, said the regional transport department.
File photo: Agencies
As an artery of Xinjiang's transportation framework, the expressway will help shorten the journey between cities in the northern part of the region and improve travel conditions.
With a designed maximum speed of 120 km per hour, the travel time between Altay and Urumqi is reduced by half, to about three and a half hours.
In addition, the expressway is also designed to be a tourism-experience road, enabling drivers and passengers to enjoy diverse scenic views and services along the way, and facilitating economic development in regions along the route.
