With the construction of five expressways completed, the mobility of Datong city, North China's Shanxi province, has become more intense, and its transportation is more convenient, forming a one-hour economic circle. That is, key business districts in the city are all linked and can be reached within one hour.
The newly added five expressways have given a full highway network across the whole city, which is designed to boost the city's development. Transportation is a driving force in an economy. Before 2005, there was only a total length of 100-kilometer expressways. During the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), the city government put the construction of highways as a top priority in the city's transportation infrastructure.
In 2009, the city made a scientific planning of its transportation network construction, before the official launch of the five expressways project, which is about 500 km in length.
After the construction of the five roads, the traveling time between each county and district in the city will be cut down, and a close connection will result in a mutual developing economic circle. The city has rich natural, tourism, and agricultural resources. The expressway network will boost the development and utilization of the mineral products, land and tourism, and push the resource processing industry and its supporting industries. In addition, it will facilitate the exchange between city and rural areas, promoting the export sales of agricultural products.
Finally, the project will help the city blend into larger economic circles, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan economic circle, Shanxi-Hebei-Inner Mongolia economic circle, and Bohai economic belt.
