When a new bridge spanning the Lhasa River opens on May 1, travel time from this city's downtown to its new train station will be cut by two thirds.

With an investment of 388.5 million yuan (about US$48.56 million), the six-lane bridge is 1,660 meters long and 29 meters wide.

When the overpass is put into service, it will only take 10 minutes to travel from downtown Lhasa to the railway station, instead of the current 30 minutes. The Qinhai Tibet Railway, which terminates in Lhasa, is the region's first rail link to the interior of the country.

Construction of the bridge began in March 2005 and is expected to help plateau city expand and alleviate its downtown traffic congestion.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2007)