As cars queued up at expressway toll gates and passengers prepared to board trains to leave Wuhan, the central Chinese city, hard-hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak, lifted outbound travel restrictions, dismantled traffic control checkpoints, and resumed operation of railways, airports, waterways, highways and buses in an orderly way from Wednesday after almost 11 weeks of lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19.

On Jan. 23, Wuhan declared unprecedented traffic restrictions, including suspending the city's public transport and all outbound flights and trains, in an attempt to contain the epidemic.

A staff member removes barricades near an expressway toll station in northern Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 8, 2020.

Aerial photo taken on April 8, 2020 shows cars passing an expressway toll station in western Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. 

Cars prepare to pass an expressway toll station in western Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 8, 2020

Passengers wait in line for train K81 at Wuchang Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 8, 2020