Ningxia recently unveiled ambitious plans to bolster its transportation network this year. The region aims to invest over 4 billion yuan ($547.31 million) in fixed assets for highways and waterways, target a passenger and freight turnover exceeding 70 billion ton-kilometers, and surpass 1 trillion yuan in social logistics.
Authorities also aim to reduce logistics costs by a percentage of GDP below 16 percent.
Key projects include completing the Huinong to Shizuishan section of the Wuma Expressway to enhance inter-provincial connectivity and implementing quality improvements for national and provincial highways. Completing the Heishan Gorge Yellow River Highway Bridge and accelerating projects like the Zhongwei to Xiaxiaohe section of National Highway 629 are also on the agenda.
Ningxia plans to improve rural roads by constructing 400 kilometers of new roads and upgrading 1,500 kilometers of existing ones. It will also focus on safety measures for over 550 kilometers.
The region will kick off the Helan Mountain East Foothill Tourism Loop project to integrate highways with industry while upgrading busy urban bypasses and over-aged road sections, such as the Baima to Xinbao section of Provincial Highway 308.
A Department of Transportation representative emphasized an action plan to boost the road network's capacity. A priority is accelerating the implementation of the provincial highway network plan to enhance connections with neighboring provinces like Shaanxi, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia.
Ningxia will optimize its transportation structure by promoting the shift of bulk cargo, such as coal, from road to rail and from loose to containerized transport. It will also expedite the development of multimodal transport using unified documentation and containers.
By improving the "corridor + hub + network" operational system, Ningxia aims to swiftly establish a new pattern for modern logistics development.