BEIJING, Dec. 28 -- A new segment of the Beijing-Xiong'an expressway opened to traffic on Thursday, marking the completion of the entire expressway, according to China's transport authority.
The direct expressway between Beijing and Xiong'an New Area, in north China's Hebei Province, will reduce the driving time between Beijing's southwestern fifth ring road to Xiong'an New Area to an hour, the Ministry of Transport said.
The major body of the expressway is approximately 97 km long, comprising the 70-km Hebei segment and the 27-km Beijing section.
In April 2017, China announced a plan to establish the Xiong'an New Area, which spans the Rongcheng, Anxin, and Xiongxian counties and some adjacent areas.
The area aims to relieve Beijing of non-essential functions related to its status as the nation's capital while also advancing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
