NDRC approves $4 billion in projects

Roads, bridges will be in western provinces, regions

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) approved 25.3 billion yuan ($4 billion) in new bridge and road construction projects on Tuesday, the Shanghai Securities News reported Wednesday.

The six approved projects are mainly located in western China including Gansu Province, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region.

The new investments came on the heels of two transportation project approvals worth 209 billion yuan announced by the NDRC on Monday, as Chinese authorities try to reinvigorate economic growth through a combination of monetary easing and direct investment.

The NDRC so far has approved 49 projects totaling 1.38 trillion yuan in the fourth quarter of this year, including airports, railways, urban rails and roads, the newspaper said.

Separately, the World Bank announced on Wednesday that it has approved two loans totaling $350 million to support urban rail development and flood protection projects in China.

The Zhengzhou Urban Rail Project in Central China's Henan Province, financed with an International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan of $250 million, will support construction of the Urban Rail Line 3, which will connect the city center of Zhengzhou with its northwest and southeast development areas.

It will directly benefit more than 900,000 people who live or work in the areas along the rail line by providing a faster, safer, more reliable and affordable transit option with lower impact on the environment.

This is the third urban rail project that the World Bank has supported in China, after the Kunming Urban Rail Project in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province and Nanchang Urban Rail Project in Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi Province.

"The project will ensure good access to rail stations by public transit, biking and walking. It will also emphasize better integration of land use planning and urban transport," said Gerald Ollivier, senior transport specialist with the World Bank.

The Small Towns Water Environment Project in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, financed with an IBRD loan of $100 million, will address flood risks and water pollution in four Chongqing counties.

The project, which is expected to benefit about 500,000 people, is part of the municipality's urban-rural integration investment.

"The project will serve as a pilot to demonstrate innovative and practical approaches for water-related infrastructure investment in small cities and towns, which can be applied in other counties in Chongqing and similar small towns in China," said You Ji, World Bank's urban specialist.

The IBRD is one of the key agencies under the World Bank. It aims to reduce poverty in low- and middle-income countries by promoting sustainable development through loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services.