On the 19th, the Xinjiang Department of Transport held the 2021 region-wide highway project construction promotion meeting. Reporters learned that continued construction projects in southern Xinjiang will resume construction by the end of February, and those in northern Xinjiang will resume in early April.

This year is the opening year of the "14th Five-Year Plan." Xinjiang aims to complete 60 billion yuan in fixed-asset investment in transport infrastructure, push the region's total expressway mileage past 6,000 kilometers, and complete and open to traffic 25 projects including the G7 Wutong Daquan–Mulei Expressway, the G3018 Jinghe–Alashankou Expressway, and the G216 Beitun–Fuyun Expressway; accelerate construction of 31 projects including the G0711 Urumqi–Yuli Expressway and the S21 Altay–Urumqi Expressway, and start construction on 9 new projects including the G218 Nalati–Baluntai Expressway; and build or upgrade 5,700 kilometers of rural roads.

As the weather warms, highway projects under construction in southern Xinjiang will start construction first, while those in other areas will fully start construction in early April.

"This year we must plan in a coordinated way and advance work in overlapping phases to ensure key projects and works are completed on schedule and to high quality," said Aishanjiang Aihemaiti, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and director of the autonomous region's Department of Transport. For the 25 projects confirmed this year for completion and opening to traffic, all must be completed and opened on schedule, and in particular the 9 expressways (first-class highways) connecting county seats, including G577 Tekes–Zhaosu and G219 Tacheng–Yumin, must all be completed and opened to traffic within the year.

It is reported that for the 9 projects newly started this year, relevant units are making every effort to complete preparatory work and strive to start construction on all of them by June 30.

"With a good start to the new year, we must accelerate the pace of project resumption, strive to achieve the annual investment target, and complete construction tasks on schedule," said Liu Hongbo, general manager of CCCC Xinjiang Transportation Investment and Development Co., Ltd.