Construction of a new airport in Mohe, China's northmost county will start late this month, according to the local government information.

On completion, it will be the only airport in this northern Chinese county, which is 100 km away from the Sino-Russian border.

The projected airport was approved for construction in December 2004 and is one of the key construction projects in Heilongjiang Province for the 2006-2010 period.

Preparation for airport construction, including the overall planning, location selection and prospecting, has been finished.

The new airport will be located in the southwestern part of Mohe County, about nine km away from the county seat, covering an area of 1.59 million sq m. It will cost an estimated investment of 238 million yuan (about 29.35 million U.S. dollars) to build.

Infrastructure projects include a terminal building with a floor space of 1,200 sq m, a navigation system and power and oil supply facilities.

The new airport is designed to accommodate short-haul planes, including CRJ-200, ERJ-145 and DON-328, with flights from Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, or other nearby cities to Mohe County.

The project is to be finished and put into service in 2008.

Currently, this remote county has an access to other Chinese regions by train service.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2006)