Gansu builds new highway across Tengger Desert

A company in Gansu province has set aside money for the construction of a new highway across the Tengger Desert - the fourth largest desert in China - at the beginning of 2015. The highway is expected to prevent local desertification.

Ronghua Co. which is headquartered in Wuwei city, Gansu province, has invested 800 million yuan ($128 million) towards the construction of Jinrong Road - the highway that will span the Tengger Desert. Construction works for the road commenced on Jan 1, 2015, and is due to finish on Oct 1.

Ronghua Co. has sent more than one hundred excavators and bulldozers to construct the highway across the Gansu section of the Tengger Desert. [Photo/ xinhuanet.com]

The 45 km-long highway connects three counties in Wuwei city; Liangzhou, Minqing and Gulang.

According to Ronghua Co, the new highway will not only shorten the time spent traveling through the counties, but will also improve efforts in desertification control. Additionally, the company is looking to build a modern oasis agricultural park to grow crops in the desert.

Diggers get to work on the construction of the new Tengger Desert highway. [Photo/ xinhuanet.com]

The roadbed foundations of Jinrong Road, the highway across the Tengger Desert, was finished on Jan 25. [Photo/ xinhuanet.com]

By Li Xiaoxu and edited by Jacob Hooson