Ningbo, in East China's Zhejiang province announced that it plans to invest 30.8 billion ($ 4.59 billion)yuan in fixed assets in 2018 to promote local transport construction at a Ningbo transportation work conference held on Feb 8.

In 2017 fixed asset investment in transport construction was targeted at 30 billion yuan ($4.47 billion).

The Ningbo government will continue to support construction of 68 major transportation projects in 2018.

Among them will be highway projects such as the Shanghai-Ningbo cross-sea transportation corridor, the Hangzhou-Ningbo interurban railway, and the Ningbo-Jinhua highway double-track.

Construction of the Sanmen Bay Bridge will be completed in 2018 to provide an alternative transport link from Ningbo to Wenzhou and cities in South China.

In urban public transportation, Ningbo plans to add or renew more than 800 new energy buses, optimize 30 bus lines, and popularize payment methods like Alipay or WeChat for passenger convenience.

Ningbo also set a goal at the conference to establish a world-leading modern transportation system and develop an international transport hub known for transport quality and efficiency, technological innovation, and international influence by 2020.

A design sketch of Hanghou-Ningbo expressway project in Ningbo city, Zhejiang province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]