A new expressway was opened Saturday in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, connecting the southern suburbs of Xi'an, capital of the province, to Yanliang District on its north.

The total cost of the expressway is 864 million yuan (US$ 104 million). The four-lane expressway is designed for speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour.

Construction on another 176-kilometer-long expressway in the province also started Saturday at planned cost of six billion yuan (US$ 722 million). Both the expressways will become part of the national trunk network highway system.

(Xinhua 09/29/2001)