Editor's note: This year is the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of the Tibet autonomous region. China Daily's Wang Qian wrote three stories to show the achievements Tibet has made during the past 60 years in terms of improving people's livelihood, transportation and border trade.

Men work at the construction site of a 37.8-km road linking Lhasa and Konggar airport on April 20. [Photo/Xinhua]

ZANDA, Tibet - Unlike road builders commonly seen dripping sweat, Zheng Liguo wears a heavy jacket in the summer but still feels cold because his work site is 4,700 meters above sea level, where the wind is strong and temperature low.

The 33-year-old man from Chengdu, Sichuan province, has worked on the highway from Gar county to Zanda county - more than 120 km - since 2008. The expressway will be finished in August.

"Working conditions here are harsh, but more money can be earned," Zheng said, raising his sun-tanned face.

Thanks to thousands of road workers like Zheng, transportation in Tibet has improved dramatically, with the first highway from Lhasa to Konggar airport to open in July and the 117-km highway linking Bome Zhamu town of Nyingchi prefecture and Medog county to be finished by February 2012.

In the last decade, transportation construction entered its peak with about 41 billion yuan ($6.3 billion) invested by the central government and 58,249 km of roads built.

Road construction is much harder, more expensive and time-consuming at high altitude than at low altitude due to low temperatures and oxygen shortage, which triggers altitude sickness.

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