From July 30 to July 31, Municipal Transportation Bureau presented its review report on the work at the Eleventh Session of the Standing Committee of the Fifth People’s Congress of Yichang. It was informed that recent five years witnessed the drastic change of road conditions in urban area of Yichang. For example, we successively build 182 kilometers of first-class highway, whose total mileage has reached 212 kilometers, with another ten roads of 193 km under construction. By the end of the year, all counties, districts and urban areas in Yichang will have been connected by first-class highway or express way, reaching the goal of all these areas basically under the radius of “one-hour economic circle”.

　　At the meeting, Ma Hongyan, Director of Municipal Transportation Bureau, introduced that recent five years in particular, with the upgrading of express way between cities, we increased 292 km of express way, the mileage of express way amounting to 409 km, which made people get to their destination more conveniently.

　　According to the 12th Five-year Plan in Yichang, the so-called “one-hour economic circle” will consist of eight routes and three rings. And the “eight routes” with mileage of 837 km will be composed of three built roads, such as Wuhan-Yichang Express Way, Jingmen-Yichang Express Way, Shanghai-Chongqing Express Way; four roads under construction including Yichang-Badong Express Way, Baokang-Yichang Express Way, Yichang-Zhangjiajie Express Way, Yueyang-Yichang Express Way;  one road that is to be built, that is Yidu-Laifeng Express Way. The “first ring” will be the fast track around the central urban area, covering an area of 80 square km; the “second ring” will be the half-an-hour economic circle connecting Yichang Yangtze River Bridge and Three Gorges Water Control Project, covering an area of 1400 square km; the “third ring” will be the one-hour economic circle, linking the central towns in all counties, districts and cities in Yichang, major scenic spots and mining area. And the total mileage of the three rings will be about 700 km.

　　With the section of Baihe-Wuduhe of Yichang-Badong Express Way and Lucheng-Yuyangguan First-class Highway officially opening to traffic on September 29 last year and January 1 this year respectively, it marks that the traffic conditions that every county in Yichang is connected by express way and central towns of all counties, districts and cities can be linked into express way within thirty minutes’ ride basically take shape. It is said that by the end of this year, central towns of all counties, districts and cities in Yichang will have fallen within “one-hour economic circle” of urban areas.

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　　The so-called “one-hour economic circle” can be simply put that a circle area is centered by a big city or mega city and we can cover the distance between the periphery of the circle and the circle’s core in one hour. (Reporter Li Zaixing)