BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Sichuan Province plans to invest at least 240 billion yuan in comprehensive transportation construction in 2021, in a bid to make it play a crucial role in promoting investment and stabilizing growth, according to a meeting held last Thursday to promote the development of transportation. 

As of the end of 2020, the total mileage of highways in the province had reached 394,000 kilometers, ranking the first in the country. The total mileage of expressways had exceeded 8,000 kilometers, covering all the cities (prefectures) and 136 counties. The total mileage of inland waterways had ranked the fourth in the nation. 

Meanwhile, by the end of 2020, the railway operation mileage had reached 5,312 kilometers, the first in southwestern China. Of the total, the high-speed railway operation mileage had surpassed 1,250 kilometers. There had been 15 civil transportation airports in Sichuan, ranking the third in the country.

In 2021, Sichuan Province will complete building more than 500 kilometers of expressways, and start building over 600 kilometers of expressways. The Neijiang-Zigong-Luzhou section in the Intercity High-speed Railway of Southern Sichuan is expected to open to traffic. The Chengdu-Nanchong-Dazhou-Wanzhou High-speed Railway will begin construction this year. The construction of rail transit Ziyang line is about to be accelerated. 

This year, Sichuan will strive to complete the construction of Langzhong Airport and relocation of Dazhou Airport, and promote the capacity expansion of Chengdu-Chongqing expressways and the construction of Chengdu-Zigong-Yibin High-speed Railway, with an aim to serve the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.