A ceremony for the opening of the Jining section of Jinan-Weishan Expressway kicks off on Oct 28. [Photo/Jining Transportation Bureau]

The Jining section of Jinan-Weishan Expressway officially opened to traffic on Oct 28, five months earlier than scheduled.

The road runs 59.7 kilometers from Xinyi town in Jining's Yanzhou district through Jining National High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Zoucheng city, and connects to the Zaozhuang-Heze Expressway in Liangcheng town in Weishan county.

The opening of the new express way is of great significance for upgrading Jining's transportation network and relieving regional traffic pressure, according to the city's transportation authorities.

The Jining section of Jinan-Weishan Expressway runs 59.7 kilometers through four districts in Jining from north to south. [Photo/Jining Transportation Bureau]

The Jinan-Weishan Expressway, along with the other three north-south expressways – Jinan-Xuzhou Expressway, Beijing-Taipei Expressway, Jinan-Guangzhou Expressway and three east-west expressways Zaozhuang-Heze Expressway, Dongjiakou-Liangshan Expressway and Rizhao-Lankao Expressway, form a comprehensive transportation network that covers all districts and counties in Jining, which helps boost county-level economic development.

The new road connects Jining's new airport and the Yanzhou South Railway Station, and is expected to maximize Yanzhou's role as an inland logistics pivot.

It also offers quick access to Weishan Island scenic area, which was hard to travel to in the past .

"The expressway will greatly improve tourists travel experiences and expand Weishandao town's path to economic prosperity," said Ma Qiang, director of the transportation bureau of Weishan county.

About 64.3 percent of the new expressway are bridges. [Photo/Jining Transportation Bureau]