Research On The Impact Of Rural Highway Construction On Regional Development

As the basic component of China’s Highway Network,rural highways are the key link through which the economy of our country and the infrastructure for directly serving rural and benefitting farmers can finally be fulfilled.To achieve the goal of a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way,construction of rural highways is very important,since it can speed up the modernisation of rural agriculture and extensively implement the strategy of rural revitalisation and development.Meanwhile,more requirements have also been put forward for rural highways due to the progressive socio-economic development of the countryside,such as taking into account the potential damage to nature reserves,air pollution,the incidence of traffic accidents and so on.In this thesis,the influence of rural highways on regional socio-economic development,based on the relationship between them and the actual conditions in Lanzhou,is studied.An overall solution to address the problems existing in rural highway construction,which may serve as a reference for government decision-making and planning,is also proposed.The main contents and conclusions are listed below:1.In this thesis,the representative perceptions relating to the impact of rural highway construction on socio-economic development at home and abroad has been summarised,and a comprehensive review on the great achievements and important roles of rural highway construction in China has also been given.The results show that rural road construction not only improves local transportation conditions,increases access to employment,enhances resource allocation and optimises industrial structure,it can also accelerate the development of information technology and urbanisation in rural regions.2.The status and effects of rural highway development in Lanzhou have been analysed deeply.The comparative studies revealed that the construction of a rural highway in Lanzhou helped to arouse enthusiasm for local grain production and increased the number of high-value-added agricultural products such as vegetables and rapeseed,with the latter usually being used as a Chinese herbal medicine.Rural highways have also stimulated the development of tourism and of the historical culture and characteristic plants in rural towns.Meanwhile,a significant increase of farmers’ incomes and the gradually narrowing urban-rural gap have also been observed.3.The adverse effects of rural highway construction relating to land resources,ecological environment and traffic safety etc.,in Lanzhou have been outlined systematically.In order to solve problems caused in the construction and maintenance of rural highways,such as unreasonable planning,lack of funding,poor management and insufficient maintenance capacity,a comprehensive concept of development on rural highway construction in China in the future has been provided.This includes scientific planning,results orientation,active mobilisation and strict management,with equal emphasis on construction and maintenance.