Beijing will repair more than 40 main roads and construct 27
artery roads and nine expressways this year in its preparation for
the 2008 Olympic Games, official sources
said.
The Chinese capital will invest 870 million yuan (US$111.5
million) to repair and renovate the east-west artery Chang'an
Avenue, according to the municipal transportation committee.
Liu Qi, secretary of the Beijing municipal
committee of the Communist Party of China, said on Thursday that
2007 is the "decisive year" for the city to make preparations for
the Games.
Beside the road repair and construction projects, Beijing will
lay emphases on the development of light railways and subways. The
city will start four new projects while continuing with five
ongoing ones, including the airport light rail line, according to
the transportation committee.
The No. 5 subway will be put into operation in September.
The city aims to use more clean energy, according to its
ambitious transportation upgrading plan. Ninety percent of buses
will use clean energy such as liquefied petroleum gas, and all the
bus signs inside the Fourth Ring Road and near the Olympic Sports
Center will use solar energy.
(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2007)