The total volume of highways grew continuously. To obtain accurate and overall information of the highway network in the whole country, the Ministry of Communications organized a special survey of the rural highways in the whole country in 2005, and determined the statistic standard of rural highways on this basis. Since 2006, village roads have been incorporated in the statistic mileages of highways (for comparison on the same basis, the data of special survey and statistic standards are attached). By the end of 2006, the total mileage of highways in the whole country had reached 3,457,000km, 111,800km more over the end of previous year (on the same basis, the same for below). The network structure was further improved. In the total mileage of highways in the whole country, there were 133,400km of national highways, 239,600km of provincial highways, 506,500km of county roads, 987,600km of township roads, 58,000km of dedicated highways, and 1,532,000km of village roads.
The highway density in the whole country was 36.0km/100km2, 1.2km/100km2 more over the end of previous year. The total number of townships (towns) accessible via highway in the whole country accounted for 98.3% of the total, and the total number of established villages accessible via highway in the whole country accounted for 86.4% of the total. There were still 672 townships and towns and 89,975 established villages not accessible via highway.
By the end of 2006, the total mileage of rural highways in the whole country (including county, township and village roads) had reached 3,026,100km, 110,800km more over the end of previous year. There were 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities each with rural highway mileage exceeding 100,000km.
(China National Tourism Administration)
