BEIJING -- Road trips are expected to lead China's upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, accounting for about 80 percent of all inter-regional trips, an official said Wednesday.

An estimated 7.2 billion road trips are projected during the travel rush, with highways likely to experience record-breaking single-day traffic peaks, Li Chunlin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference.

In total, about 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge, with passenger volumes for both rail and civil aviation trips also set to hit record highs.

Li highlighted significant challenges in ensuring smooth traffic flow, maintaining safety, and mitigating the impact of adverse weather during the Spring Festival travel rush as transportation will reach full capacity in a short period of time.

Accordingly, authorities are prioritizing transportation capacity and safety during the upcoming travel season, focusing on major areas and key routes, Li said.

Efforts also include strengthening energy supply along major routes and hubs, improving severe weather forecasting and warnings, and enhancing services for road trips and ticketing.