Beijing outer expressway ring to complete by 2016

A 940-km expressway ring surrounding Beijing will be completed by 2016 to reduce pollution of vehicles passing through the Chinese capital and boost regional development.

The integration of transport infrastructure is a priority for coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, said a Beijing transport official.

The big outer ring has about 850 km in Hebei Province. It includes several expressways, such as the one linking Zhangjiakou and Zhuozhou cities and the Zhangjiakou-Chengde expressway in Hebei, and another linking Zhuozhou and Miyun County in Beijing.

Some sections of the ring have been completed while others are under construction, according to Beijing and Hebei officials.

By 2020, a one-hour travel will be realized between cities surrounding Beijing and Tianjin and the two cities, and adjacent cities in the region, said Gao Jinhao, head of the Hebei Transport Department.