China will link up the road network in its western region by introducing advanced road construction technology over the next two decades, a high-ranking official said Sunday in Xi'an.

The upgrading of the road network will bring prosperity to western areas as the Silk Road did to the region in ancient China, said Zhang Chunxian, vice-minister of communications at the annual meeting of China's Association of Science and Technology, which opened today.

He noted that by 2010, China is expected to complete the construction of nine artery roads in the west, build about 150,000-km roads linking each village. Meanwhile, the government will pool 700 billion yuan (US$84.3 billion) to renovate 350,000-km roads.

The ministry has approved an annual budget of at least 200 million yuan (US$24 million) for the next two decades to tackle problems related to road construction in the west and to train professional construction workers.

In the coming 10 to 15 years, Zhang said, China is likely to make breakthroughs in the development of new road construction materials and technology.

He said that information technology will be applied to the management of high-level expressways, and the designing and construction of highways and tunnels in mountainous areas will be improved greatly by then.

(People's Daily)