Dandong plans to invest 18.73 billion yuan ($2.96 billion) in communications and transportation in 2012. It is going to complete road construction in the amount of 677.8 kilometers, finish 29 harbor and water transportation projects and two port and yard projects, according to the news from the Dandong communications and transportation work meeting.

The city will spare no efforts to promote the construction of the Yalu River Bridge, endeavoring to complete the upper girder concreting of two main towers of the bridge, accomplish a substructure of the bridge and hit 40 percent of the upper continuous girder project in 2012. It also needs to finish the land acquisition of lead and roadbed transformation within the year.

The road and port supporting project that aims to build supporting facilities in the port business zone will be introduced, covering an area of 78,000 square meters.

Regarding expressway construction, the Dantong Expressway will be given top priority to ensure it will be open to traffic on schedule. Dandong will also start the Dandong port expressway construction project, preparing work for the Haiyanghong port Expressway and carrying out project surveys for the expressways linking Kuandian and provincial capitals.

The focus of highway construction is on building a network for tourist highways. This entails connecting highways with expressways and strengthening highway construction in the coastal economic belt. The county-level governments also need to take responsibilities and allocate funds to promote highway construction in rural areas.

The city will concentrate on the construction of the Dandong port and Haiyanghong port. As many as 41 supporting projects are planned for the improvement of the Dandong port with an investment of 11.5 billion yuan ($1.82 billion). Having 14 new projects already started, the port hopes to achieve a port throughput of over 100 million tons. The Haiyanghong port is going to build three 10,000 ton level berths and a breakwater of 5.6 kilometers long, with an investment of 650 million yuan.

The city will continue to make great efforts to develop a public transportation network, covering both urban and rural area. Bus stations and other supporting facilities will be prepared. New energy buses are to be further used in public traffic to save energy and reduce emissions.