A bird's-eye view of mist-shrouded expressways located in Taizhou's Xianju county, Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

The Zhejiang Development and Reform Commission announced the province's major construction projects for the next five years at a press conference held in the provincial capital of Hangzhou on May 26.

Zhejiang authorities announced that during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, Zhejiang will invest a total of 8.2 trillion yuan ($1.29 trillion) into 245 major projects involving scientific innovation, modern industries, transportation, environmental protection, and social welfare.

Over the next five years, Zhejiang will add 1,800 kilometers of railway, 700 kilometers of metro lines, and 1,000 kilometers of expressways.

The main railway projects to be completed will include high-speed railways between Hangzhou and Wenzhou and between Hangzhou and Taizhou, the Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing-Ningbo High-speed Railway, and the Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway. By 2025, Hangzhou will have more than 500 kilometers of metro lines, among the most of any Chinese city. The province's highways will reach 6,000 kilometers in length and connect to all towns with a population of 100,000 or more.

In addition, the Hangzhou airport is expected to surpass 100 million in annual passenger throughput, the Ningbo and Wenzhou airports will be significantly expanded, and the Jiaxing and Lishui airports will be established.

Furthermore, the Ningbo Zhoushan Port is tasked with becoming a world-leading harbor with more than 1.3 billion metric tons in annual cargo throughput and more than 35 million TEUs in annual container throughput.

Zhejiang authorities' industrial investment will focus on the digital economy, health, new materials, green petrochemicals, modern textiles, auto, semiconductors, flexible electronics, and high-end equipment sectors.