China’s first expressway in the permafrost region of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau opened to traffic on August 1, linking Gonghe county to Yushu city in western China’s Qinghai province, Xinhuanet.com reported.

The expressway, which cost 26.96 billion RMB ($4 billion), spans 634.8 kilometers, among which the permafrost region occupies almost 36 percent.

The road was built at an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters in just over 6 years. Advanced technology was used to keep the ground surface stable. Similarly, many challenges were overcomed to ensure smooth construction and operation of the expressway, said Niu Jiangzhong, a project manager with the Electrical Engineering Company Ltd of China Railway 12th Bureau Group.

In order to avoid damaging the local environment, the vegetation was removed and replanted along the roadside during construction. The expressway will shorten travel time between Xining, capital city of Qianghai province and Yushu city by four hours from 12 hours to only 8 hours.