On December 27, Shaanxi Province held a mobilization meeting for the concentrated launch of construction on five expressways: the southern section of the Xi'an Outer Ring, Yanchang to Huanglong, Ningshan to Shiquan, Xunyi to Fengxiang, and Hancheng to Huanglong. Hu Heping, Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and Governor, issued the construction order.
Yang Yusheng, Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Transport, introduced that the five expressways launched this time are important components of Shaanxi Province's “2367” expressway network and key projects for achieving the province's “13th Five-Year Plan” goal of expressway access in every county. They involve 11 counties and 2 districts in 6 cities—Xi'an, Baoji, Xianyang, Yan'an, Ankang, and Hancheng—spanning the three major regions of Guanzhong, southern Shaanxi, and northern Shaanxi, with a total length of 472 kilometers and a total investment of 60.96 billion yuan.
It is reported that by the end of 2017, Shaanxi Province's total expressway mileage open to traffic will reach 5,279 kilometers, providing expressway access to 98 counties (districts), with 21 provincial exits; there will be 22 expressway projects under construction, totaling about 1,500 kilometers. By 2020, the province's total expressway mileage open to traffic will exceed 6,500 kilometers, achieving “expressway access in every county” and reaching 27 provincial exits.