The Chilean government has spent 1 billion U.S. dollars in rebuilding areas hit by the Feb. 22 major earthquake, Finance Minister Felipe Larrain said on Saturday.

The statement was made on Saturday when Larrain and Minister of Public Works Hernan de Solminihac inaugurated the bridge Lo Gallardo in the Region of Valparaiso, which was seriously damaged in the 8.8-magnitude earthquake.

Larrain told Xinhua that 1 billion dollars have been spent on emergency work and other projects such as the aforementioned bridge.

The bridge, which links the towns of Santo Domingo and Llolleo and measures 800 meters, is the first to be put into operation in Chile, among other reconstruction projects which are still underway. The repair work cost approximately 1.4 million dollars.

Larrain said that the total cost of the country's post-quake reconstruction was estimated at 8.4 billion dollars for the next four years.