The Washington Post is reporting that foreign investment has begun to flow into the long-neglected North Korea port city of Rason.

In an article published Tuesday, the U.S. daily said Chinese and Russian construction crews are moving quickly to build transportation lines to city, which the North designated as a special economic zone nearly 20 years ago and has largely ignored since.

The Post reported that Chinese workers, living in roadside tents, are widening and paving a 50-kilometer road that starts in Hunchun, China. Once the road is open, it's expected to take just 30 to 40 minutes from Hunchun to Rason which used to take three hours due to poor road conditions.

The report said that the Russians, in the meantime, are finishing a 200 million dollar renovation of a railroad connecting Khasan, Russia and North Korea's Rajin Port.