A section of a road in Tibet's northern Tsonyi county. [Photo by Jigme Wangtso/For China Daily]

Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region enhanced road construction and maintenance in the region's rural areas in 2019, bringing greater convenience to more locals, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Thanks to government efforts, 669 villages and 22 townships of the region were newly accessible by paved roads during the year, according to the region's department of transportation.

Making a big push on road construction is one of the key measures to win the battle against poverty in the region and across the country, and more than 121 million yuan ($34 million) was spent on road maintenance, and 14,478 kilometers of roadways were renovated in 2019.

By the end of 2019, the access rates for public buses in townships and rural villages hit 70 percent and 47 percent, respectively.

A section of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway in the Tibet autonomous region. [Photo by Jigme Wangtso/For China Daily]

A section of a road in Tibet's northern Tsonyi county. [Photo by Jigme Wangtso/For China Daily]

A nice view of paved road in a rural area of Tibet's Qamdo. [Photo by Jigme Wangtso/For China Daily]

A nice view of paved road in a rural area of Tibet's Qamdo. [Photo by Jigme Wangtso/For China Daily]