The expansion project of the expressway linking two major cities in east China is scheduled to open to traffic on the New Year's Day in 2006.

The expressway linking Shanghai, China's largest metropolis, with Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, began expanding in November 2003, costing an investment of 8.9 billion yuan (about 1.09 billion US dollars) by November 2005.

The principal part of the project was completed ahead of schedule and the traffic ban on trucks will be lifted when the broadened expressway is put into use, said Xie Jiaquan, general manager of the Nanjing-Shanghai Expressway Co. Ltd. at a press conference held Tuesday in Nanjing.

With an extended mileage of 248 km, the eight-lane expressway is expected to help ease traffic jam between Shanghai and Nanjing.

According to Xie, with a speed of 120 km per hour, it will takea two-hour drive from Nanjing to Shanghai.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2005)