BEIJING — China started the construction of 120 projects of expressways and national and provincial highways in the first five months of the year, with a total length of over 3,600 kilometers, an official said on June 27.

The total investment in those projects reached 182 billion yuan (about $27 billion), said Zhao Chongjiu, vice-minister of transport, adding that the construction of highways nationwide maintained good momentum.

At the end of May, there were more than 2,000 ongoing construction and reconstruction projects of expressways and highways, creating over 4 million jobs for rural workers, said Zhao.

With the implementation of policies to stabilize the economy, China will step up the construction of major highways in the latter half as part of efforts to promote investment and stabilize economic growth and employment, he said.