At an Inner Mongolia transportation conference, on Jan 11, it was announced that the region has plans to put 85 billion yuan ($12.9 billion) into highway construction this year, a 12 percent increase from a year ago, with the goal of adding 25,000 kilometers.

Inner Mongolia says it will speed up work on infrastructure in 70 key highway and road network projects, 37 of which are major highways costing 1 billion yuan. A lot of effort will go into asphalt and cement roads and street damage in one poverty-stricken area around the village of Gazha, so 95 percent of its roads will be greatly improved by the end of this year. The government is also promoting passenger stations in four poverty-stricken banner counties, including Guyang and Wuyuan.