China is losing more than $10 billion a year from its expressways, state media reported on Wednesday, despite levying hefty tolls on the world's largest highway network.
China spent 431 billion yuan ($69 billion) on building, maintaining and operating highways in 2013, but only took in 365 billion yuan from tolls, the China Daily reported, citing the Ministry of Transport.
For years the building of roads, high-speed rail lines and other infrastructure projects helped China hit double-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
But with the economy slowing and authorities working to fight graft, the government is increasing scrutiny on spending.
Laying one kilometre of highway cost about 91 million yuan in 2013, an 80 percent increase from 2011, according to the Ministry of Transport's annual report.
国营媒体周三报道称，尽管对世界上最大规模的高速公路网络收取了高昂的过路费，中国每年在高速公路上仍亏损超过100亿美元。
中国日报引用了交通运输部的数据称，中国在2013年花费了4310亿元（690亿美元）用于修建、保养及运营高速公路，而过路费仅收回3650亿元。
多年来建造公路、高速铁路和其他基础设施项目帮助中国取得了两位数的GDP增长。
然而在经济放缓、当局打击腐败之下，政府对开支监督越来越严格。
据交通运输部的年度报告称，建造1公里高速公路的费用自2011年到2013年增加了80%，达到9100万元。

Under current regulations, local transport bureaux can collect tolls for 15 years to recoup the cost of building highways. But many have also applied for extensions for what they say are maintenance costs, the China Daily reported.
Experts said the move was really a loophole designed to fill local coffers rather than improve roads, and construction costs are often inflated in order to ensure continued toll collection, the newspaper said.
China has the longest highway network in the world with 156,500 kilometres (97,000 miles) of expressways, including more than 100,000 kilometres of toll roads.
It began collecting highway tolls in 1984 and nearly all roads built since hen have been funded by those fees, according to the Ministry of Transport report.
Many drivers bemoan the unubiquitous tolls fees, which can make driving between two cities or taking road trips prohibitively expensive.
根据现行的规定，当地的交通局可以收费15年以偿还债务。不过据中国日报报道，经常会以维护费用的名义被延期。
据中国日报报道，专家称这是一个漏洞，其实是用于本地的小金库而非改善公路，而建造费用常常被夸大以达到延期收费的目的。
中国拥有世界上最大规模的高速公路网络，总里程达到156500公里（97000英里），其中收费公路超过100000公里。
交通运输部报告称高速公路征收过路费始于1984年，从此以后几乎所有的高速公路建设都是这个模式。
许多驾车人抱怨无所不在的高速通行费，使得两地之间的公路通行成本过于高昂。