(Yicai Global) July 1 -- The last 515-kilometer section of the G7 Beijing-Urumqi Expressway that traverses the north of the country, linking the Chinese capital with the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, opened to traffic yesterday.

The new highway will reduce the overland travel distance between Beijing and Urumqi by over 1,300 km and is now the fastest route from the eastern sea port of Tianjin to the far western land port of Khorgos on the border with Kazakhstan, an official from the Ministry of Transport said.

It is one of the world’s longest desert highways, passing through several deserts including parts of the Gobi Desert, Ulan Buh Desert, Tengger Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert.

It is Xinjiang’s second freeway, after the Lianyungang-Khorgos Expressway which runs from Kohrgas to Lianyungang in the southeastern province of Jiangsu. Construction began in 2012 and sections started to be opened to traffic since 2014. The Ministry of Transport has not revealed how much it cost.

Xinjiang now has over 6,000 km of highways, demonstrating how the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is a major driver for the development of the local economy, the official said.

Most of the trucks leaving Xinjiang carry Hami melons and other fresh produce, while trucks coming in mainly carry raw materials, machinery and spare parts, a staff member of the newly opened link told Yicai Global.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor