Beijing assembles special team to speed up Olympic projects

2018-04-23

Beijing recently set up a special work team made up of government workers from 15 municipal departments involved in the preparation of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in order to accelerate the construction process. The team will operate at the city's Major Projects Office, and officials say the construction work on five stadiums is already in progress.

The 15 city departments participating in the special team include the Commission of Development and Reform, the Bureau of Finance, the Commission of Planning and Land Administration, the Commission of Housing and Rural-Urban Development, the Commission of City Management, the Commission of Transport, the Bureau of Water Management, the Bureau of Gardening and Greening, the Bureau of Environmental Protection, the Bureau of Civil Defense, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Archives, the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration and Development, the Institute of City Planning and Design, and the Institute of Water Planning and Design. The team recently visited the construction sites of the National Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Center, the National Alpine Skiing Center, and the Songshan Tunnel of the Yanchong Highway, all three located in Yanqing District.

The special team is divided into three sub-groups, each overseeing financing, planning and design, and construction and coordination. A person in charge of the Major Projects Office said public-private partnerships are seeing rapid development. The government was able to attract private investment from four companies for the construction of the National Speed Skating Stadium, while subsidizing only 28.9 percent of construction costs. The person said this would ensure the stadium to serve citizens 25 years after the 2022 Winter Olympics.

So far, three out of 13 projects in downtown Beijing have begun construction. The National Speed Skating Stadium, a landmark building for the Olympic Games, has a cable nets structure that is the largest in China, and an indoor ice surface that is the largest in Asia. In addition, the stadium will feature smart technologies with a distinctive, modern design. Currently, construction is under way for its underground infrastructure. Meanwhile, the city will soon begin renovations for existing stadiums, such as the National Aquatics Center.

Over in Yanqing district, two out of the five planned stadiums in Yanqing District have begun construction. The National Alpine Skiing Center, located along the Xiaohaituo Mountain, will build seven tracks with the total length of 21 kilometers. The center will host 11 competition events, including men's and women's downhill race, and the super giant slalom. The National Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Center, with a track length of 1.9 kilometers, will adopt a world-leading design scheme that makes the track look like a highflying dragon.

In addition, 11 auxiliary projects have also started. Among them are three transportation projects, three electric power facilities projects, four water conservancy facilities projects, and one utility tunnel project. All three transportation projects--the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail, the Yanqing-Chongli highway, and the Xingyan highway--have commenced on schedule. For construction of the Yanqing Competition Area's External Utility Tunnel Project, which started in September 2017, engineers have applied advanced rock shielding technologies to decrease its impact on the environment. This utility tunnel will provide water, electricity, and communication services, and it is on schedule to complete by September 2019.

By the end of this year, another 26 construction projects, including the Yanqing Winter Olympics Village, will also break ground.

China.org.cn