Sixth Ring Road to open for traffic before National Day

Along with the interconnection and operation of the entire Sixth Ring Road this month, the construction of the expressway network in Beijing is essentially completed, and the overall function of the road network will be upgraded considerably. Reporters learned from Beijing Capital Highway Development Group Co. Ltd that within the two decades, after the interconnection and operation of the Sixth Ring Road, social and economic benefits to be generated will amount to as much as 184.4 billion yuan, 10 times the total investment of the project.

Connecting various expressways and national highways in Beijing, the Sixth Ring Road will relieve and aid Beijing’s traffic flow and will increase the overall capacity of the road network. According to the preliminary estimate, since the traffic in the Sixth Ring Road mainly comes from the Fifth Ring Road and other road networks, about three percent of automobile emissions in the urban area will be reduced. In addition, the “green belt,” with a total area of 4.02 million square meters along both sides of the Sixth Ring Road, can absorb automobile exhaust fumes and noises and notably reduce pollution.

According to the “Overall Urban Planning of Beijing,” the planned population is 700,000 to 900,000 people in Tongzhou, Shunyi and Yizhuang, three new towns in Beijing’s East development zone, 600,000 people in Daxing, Changping and Fangshan, and 150,000 to 350,000 people in other new towns. By the year 2020, the population of the seven new towns connected by the Sixth Ring Expressway, namely, Changping, Shunyi, Tongzhou, Yizhuang, Fangshan and Mentougou, will amount to more than four million, equaling half of the planned population of Central Beijing. The Sixth Ring Expressway will become the most important channel linking these new towns. It will create more favorable conditions with regard to the overall layout of Beijing’s industries and thus will play a part in the implementation of planned projects in the city’s eastern and western development zones.

According to estimates, the measureable social and economic benefits of the Sixth Ring Road rely on several factors: around 92 billion yuan will result from the reduction of driving costs, the reduction of transport time for both passengers and goods, and the decrease of traffic accidents; 22 billion yuan will be made through the added value of the land along the Sixth Ring Road; 65.6 billion yuan will come from project investments in driving the regional economy. There will also be advertising revenues, benefits of improving the environment of the urban area among others.

Translated by LOTO