Hunan will step into an era of speedy travel. The press conference on 10000-car self drive travel along Changde-Jishou Expressway held on Dec.11, 2008 disclosed that the Chang-Ji Expressway (Changde-Jishou) and Shaoshan Expressway to be opened mark the realization of expressway connections among 13 prefectural cities and Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture with a total length of over 2000 km, thus Hunan's 4-hour-ride economic circle is to take shape.

Hunan has begun to enhance construction investment in highways and expressways since the early 1990s. The successful connection among expressways in succession during this decade has witnessed the quickened economic and social development of Hunan.

The opening up of Chang-Ji Expressway will mark the realization of expressway connections among Hunan's 13 cities and the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, thus the 4-hour-ride economic circle is to be formed in Hunan. Convenient expressway network of Hunan functions as an engine to attract investment and stimulate domestic demand, as convenient thoroughfare to link the world and as a prime passage to strengthen Hunan and make people rich. Furthermore, it will play a significant role in taking up the global and coastal industrial transfer and enhancing Hunan's regional competitiveness.

The construction of 12 expressways was started in 2008. These expressways, 1,196 kms long in total, with an investment of 81.7 billion Yuan, connect Hunan's 12 prefectural cities, the Xiangxi Autonomous Region as well as 43 counties and towns.

Hunan plans to invest 35 billion Yuan in completing the construction of Heng-Yan Expressway (Hengyang-Yandi), Shao-Yong Expressway (Shaoyang-Yongzhou) and Chang-Zhu Expressway (Changsha-Zhuzhou) with a total length of 261 km, and in starting the construction of 11 expressways with a total length of 901 km in 2009. Then the total length of expressways both under construction and open to traffic in Hunan will amount to 5681 km.

Source: www.hunan.gov.cn