Southwest China's Yunnan Province invested 22.55 billion yuan (about US$2.8 billion) in road construction from January to November, a source with the provincial communications department said Friday.

Compared with the 14.54 billion yuan (some US$1.8 billion) investment in 2004, the government input this year has been up 54.77 percent.

Approximately 16.14 billion yuan (some US$2 billion) was spent on building major highways in Yunnan, a year-on-year growth of 154.63 percent.

By the end of 2004, the mileage of roads in Yunnan had reached 167,050 kilometers including 1421 km expressway, ranking China's first.

A massive road network has taken shape in the province, said the department.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2005)