Tibet's first expressway, the Lhasa-Gongga Airport highway has officially opened to traffic.

Vice President Xi Jinping cut the ribbons on July 17 to launch the 37.8-kilometer-long, four-lane road linking urban Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, with its airport.

Heading a 59-member Central Government delegation, Xi arrived in Lhasa to attend a series of celebrations to mark Tibet's peaceful liberation 60 years ago.

The expressway will shorten the travel time from downtown Lhasa to Gongga Airport by half an hour. Construction of the expressway began in April 2009 and cost 1.59 billion yuan ($244.6 million).

(CNTV.cn July 18, 2011)