Roads into Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, the epicenter of strong earthquake in southwest China, might be reopened in about two days after extensive repair work, the Ministry of Communications said on Tuesday.

Roads from Dujiangyan, Lixian, Maoxian, Wolong and Yingxiu to Wenchuan were all severely damaged, making repairs very difficult, said Dai Dongchang, head of the ministry's highway department.

He said roads into Wenchuan from the west, linking the county with Wolong and Yingxiu, would probably be the first to reopen, and it would take about two days.

Premier Wen Jiabao, who rushed to the scene shortly after the quake, had ordered all obstacles cleared and the roads opened before midnight on Tuesday, in order to get urgently needed help into the area.

He had urged military personnel to do their best to open the roads.

Road maintenance facilities and staff in the whole province had all been sent to repair the damaged roads to Wenchuan, Dai said.

Highways in the province had all reopened, and traffic was moving on major roads leading to quake-hit Chengdu, Deyang, Mianyang and Ya'an.

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2008)