In the fast lane: Cars zoom on a highway in Shanghai on May 3, 2005. China’s first expressway was built in 1988 near Shanghai; its length: 11.5 miles (18.5 km). By 2005, however, China’s expressway system had expanded to 25,480 miles (41,000 km), with 15,350 miles (24,700 km) constructed in the first half of this decade. China expects to complete more than 30,000 miles (48,200 km) by the time the decade is out. To build these roads, the Chinese government spent more on transportation infrastructure in the five years from 2001 to 2005 than in the previous five decades together.