Expressway in Ruoqiang County, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Photo： VCG

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has its third expressway officially opening to traffic on Tuesday, significantly reducing travel time, boosting the sale of local agricultural products and overall economic activity, CCTV reported on Tuesday. 

The expressway starts from Yitunbulake located in Ruoqiang County and ends in the urban area of Ruoqiang covering a total length of 294 kilometers, crossing two the Altun Mountains and the Lop Nur Lake region.

Multiple crossings for local wild animals have been built along the expressway to minimize the impact on local environment. 

The expressway is the third major traffic channel connecting Xinjiang to neighboring provinces after the G-30 Expressway connecting Lianyungang in East China's Jiangsu Province and Khorgas City in Xinjiang, and the G7 Expressway connecting Beijing and the Urumuqi, capital city of Xinjiang. 

The newly built expressway will play an important role in improving living standards in southern Xinjiang and accelerate the construction of projects under the  Belt & Road Initiative, the report noted.

Global Times